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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24973135">Perseverance</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account'>orphan_account</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Percy Jackson and the Olympians &amp; Related Fandoms - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Fluff, M/M, Post-HoO, Three Day Infirmary, and beyond, pre-toa</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 00:48:24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>33,521</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24973135</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Despite his efforts to create a place for himself at Camp Half-Blood, Nico can't help but doubt himself. While he befriends other campers, he wonders if they would like him if they knew the real him. And then there's Will. His annoying medic, turned friend, turned... into something more.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Annabeth Chase &amp; Nico di Angelo, Nico di Angelo &amp; Percy Jackson, Nico di Angelo/Will Solace</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>95</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>373</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Nico wasn’t expecting to be dragged to the infirmary immediately. He hardly had time to pack a bag before Will grabbed his hand and started pulling him along.</p>
<p>There were a couple Apollo kids taking a break outside the Big House, and a few other people hanging about – most likely friends of the patients. Nico stared at the doors, intent to not make eye contact as their conversations ceased and their gazes fell on him. Nico squared his shoulders, even if the stares burning into his back made him want to curl up.</p>
<p>“You going to make me wait all day, di Angelo?”</p>
<p>Nico hadn’t realized he paused at the front door. He heaved a sigh and stepped inside, Will following close enough behind that Nico could feel the heat of him on his back. He wondered if Will radiating heat like that had something to do with being the son of the Sun God.</p>
<p>Or maybe he was just cold.</p>
<p>His whole body felt like ice after being freed from the bronze jar, and he only felt fractionally warmer since then. All the shadow-traveling he did after awakening from his death trance did little to help his situation.  Nico felt like he could sleep another three days straight.</p>
<p>But if he did, Will would probably keep him at the infirmary even longer. Judging by the patients and doctors staring at him, he didn’t think that was something he wanted to do. He wanted to step back and flee out the door, but Will was right behind him.</p>
<p>“Let’s get you a bed.”</p>
<p>Thankfully, it was one far in the back of the infirmary. The discomfort didn’t disappear when Nico sat on the bed and Will pulled the curtains shut behind them. Nico shifted uncomfortably. Will tucked Nico’s backpack in the corner. It wasn’t much – just some clean clothes Nico was allowed to grab before being hauled off.</p>
<p>Nico wanted to tell Will it was a mistake and just head back to his cabin, but at Will’s sharp look, he snapped his jaw shut. Will probably knew exactly what he was thinking. Nico glared at the floor between Will’s feet as he came to stand before him.</p>
<p>“Don’t worry about them,” he said. “You’re overthinking things.”</p>
<p>Nico frowned. “They don’t want me here.”</p>
<p>Will sighed softly. “I don’t believe that, but it doesn’t matter whether they want you here at not. <em>I want you here</em>. Because you need to be here. Now, would you please be a good patient for Dr. Solace?” He clapped hands together in front of him like a prayer and gave Nico puppy-eyes.</p>
<p>Nico grimaced. “Fine.”</p>
<p>Will perked up. “Good. Shirt off.”</p>
<p>Nico flushed and sputtered. “<em>What</em>?”</p>
<p>“You think I don’t know about those gnarly wounds on your arms?” He picked at Nico’s sweater. Nico only then noticed how it stuck to his skin with a mixture of dried and fresh blood. “I’d reckon you pulled your stitches.”</p>
<p>“I hadn’t noticed.” Even then, he didn’t really feel the pain. He just felt – numb.</p>
<p>Will frowned. “Shirt off.”</p>
<p>Nico obliged. He unzipped his sweater and shrugged it off. It pulled on the wounds, causing a few tendrils of blood to run down his arm. His shirt was more difficult, since he struggled to move his most injured arm. Will helped him. His movements were efficient and clinical.</p>
<p>“Wow.” Will stared at the wounds, then glared up at Nico. “They were this bad and you told <em>no one</em>?”</p>
<p>Wow didn’t really seem to cover it. The stitches were bulky and uneven. A few had torn free of Nico’s skin, which was red, swollen, and oozing puss.</p>
<p>“Oh.” Nico felt nauseous just looking at it. He hadn’t realized it was so bad.</p>
<p>“<em>Oh? You</em> –“ Will was pale. His expression twisted, but once he saw Nico expression, he schooled his own. “It’ll be fine. I’ll fix you right up.” His hand hovered over Nico’s shoulder, but he dropped it to his side. “Lay back. Get comfortable. Give me a minute. I need to grab a couple things.”</p>
<p>Nico nodded, shivering in the cold air as Will disappeared behind the curtain. He resisted the urge to stand, put his shirt back on and leave. As much as he disliked it – he really did need the help. He hadn’t realized it was quite so bad.</p>
<p>“Okay.” Will came back with his arms full. “First of all, let’s get some ambrosia in you. Reyna told me you react best to unicorn draught, but we’re all out right now.” He put a whole bunch of items on the nearby tray. He unwrapped a couple squares and passed them to Nico. He put on some gloves and gingerly took Nico’s arm. He clucked his tongue. “Most of this is going to need to be re-stitched.”</p>
<p>Nico hummed and nibbled on the ambrosia squares. He regained most of his appetite on the <em>Argo </em>II, but his excessive shadow-traveling on made it worse again.</p>
<p>Nico ignored Will the best he could. Faint tingles of pain went up his arm before even more numbness overcame it. Will was focused on his work, forehead creased, and eyes squinted. His eyes were bright blue and intense. His blonde hair curled in every direction, yet somehow still looked neat. Nico ignored the skeletal butterflies in his stomach and glanced away as Will looked up to check on him.</p>
<p>“How you holding up?” Will finished Nico’s arm and wrapped it up tightly.</p>
<p>“I’m alive. I guess.” Nico shivered. “How much longer is this going to take?”</p>
<p>“Not long. We’re through the worst of it.” Will said softly. He pulled off his gloves. He rested his hand on the bed, mere centimeters away from Nico’s. Will’s tender expression made it difficult to keep the blood from rushing to his cheeks. With any luck, Will would think it was his fever.</p>
<p>~&lt;3&lt;3&lt;3~</p>
<p>Nico fell asleep after Will got him some blankets and continued working on him. When he awoke, he was covered in no less than five blankets, curtains still drawn to give him privacy. The ambrosia did its job, although not well enough. His head felt clear. Overall, he felt less numb. Although, unfortunately, that also meant he felt the pain.</p>
<p>Nico grit his teeth as he opened his eyes. He shifted as he sat up slightly, drawing a hissing breath between his clenched teeth. He had a high pain threshold, but gouges from a werewolf’s claws were anything but comfortable.</p>
<p>“Good morning, Sunshine.” Will was sitting beside him, eating breakfast. Nico could smell pancakes and sausages. “Hungry?”</p>
<p>“Not really.” The pain was making his stomach turn.</p>
<p>“Figured.” Will handed him a plastic cup with a straw. It had a thick liquid in it that was faintly pink.</p>
<p>Nico wrinkled his nose.</p>
<p>Will laughed. “It’s not as bad as it looks, I promise. It has plenty of nutrients and it’s easy on the stomach – and.” He held out a couple pills. “And you shouldn’t take these on an empty one. Painkillers.”</p>
<p>Nico took them with relief. The concoction indeed wasn’t as bad as it looked. It wasn’t by any means good, but it at least didn’t make his stomach turn. He sipped it and watched Will out the corner of his eye. He was filling out some charts in between bites of food. He had dark circles under his eyes, his skin pale.</p>
<p>“Were you here all night?”</p>
<p>Will hummed, not glancing up from the charts. “It was my turn for an overnight shift. There’s lots of people who need observation through the night. My shift ended half-an-hour ago.”</p>
<p>Nico’s brow furrowed. “Then why are you here?”</p>
<p>Will’s lips twitched up into a smile. “You. Are so dense. It’s actually kind of cute.”</p>
<p>Nico choked on his drink. He coughed a couple times into his arm, then turned to Will. “I’m <em>not </em>cute.”</p>
<p>“You’re right.” Will patted Nico’s shoulder with a placating smile. “I think the more accurate word is adorable.”</p>
<p>Nico flushed. “I’m the son of Hades, I can –“</p>
<p>“Yes, yes. I’m impressed.” Will grinned. “You can show off once you’re all better. Now, finish your drink Death Boy.”</p>
<p>“I told you not to call me Death Boy.”</p>
<p>“I’ll go back to Sunshine, then.”</p>
<p>Nico’s jaw dropped. “That’s <em>worse</em>.”</p>
<p>“Sunshine it is then.” Will grinned.</p>
<p>Nico wanted to argue, but he didn’t trust the humor dancing in Will’s eyes. If Nico complained more about ‘Sunshine’, Will would probably come up with something even more embarrassing. Besides, he kind of liked how it sounded when Will called him that. “Fine.”</p>
<p>He averted his gaze and drank the rest of his drink. Will took it once he was done, his finger tips brushing against Nico’s. As always, his touch sent a current of electricity through Nico’s body. It was disconcerting, but also nice.</p>
<p>“We should get you up and walking. It’s not good to stay immobile all day.” Will peeled the blankets off Nico layer by layer, folding them at the foot of his bed. “How you feeling? Dizzy at all?”</p>
<p>“I’m cold,” Nico muttered. He wasn’t even wearing a shirt, though bandages covered half his chest.</p>
<p>Will snagged Nico’s bag. He opened the zipped and held it out to Nico so he could fish out what he needed – a spare pair of jeans, a t-shirt and a slip-on hoodie.</p>
<p>Will raised his eyebrows, looking unimpressed. “Do you have any other clothes?”</p>
<p>“No.” Why would he? “It’s not like I’ve ever really… stayed here.”</p>
<p>“Right. Of course.” Will ran a hand through his hair, ruffling the blonde curls. “Just hang tight. I’ll get you something easier to get on.”</p>
<p>He left, leaving Nico to twiddle his thumbs and spin the rings on his fingers. He took a moment to examine the way Will bandaged his wounded arm. It was tight, but not enough that he was losing circulation. Nico couldn’t tell if his lack of range of motion was due to the injury or the bandages. It hurt like crazy, but the painkillers were slowly kicking in, reducing it to more of a dull ache.</p>
<p>“Here we go.” Will returned, holding some grey fabric. “Let’s get you dressed.”</p>
<p>“I don’t need help,” Nico muttered.</p>
<p>“Yes, you do.” Will set the clothes on the bed. “You’re not pulling the stitches I just redid because you’re too stubborn to admit you need help. Now, would you mind unbuttoning your jeans?”</p>
<p>Nico did, but not without grumbling. Will helped pull them off. Nico’s sneakers were already missing. Will probably removed them at some point when he was sleeping. Will helped Nico get the sweats on as well, thankfully letting Nico take over when he had them pulled up to his knees. The sweats were too big on him, so he tied the string tightly so they wouldn’t fall down. The sweater Will brought was easier. Will put his arms through the too-long sleeves, then zipped up the front. Nico felt like he was swimming in the clothes, but at least he was dressed. Will grabbed Nico’s sneakers from the base of the bed and slid them on his feet. Once he was done tying them, he held out his hands to Nico.</p>
<p>“Sit up nice and slow.”</p>
<p>Nico grabbed a hand with his uninured one. Will held on tight and slid his other arm behind Nico’s back. Once he was up, Nico eased his legs off the side of the bed. It was all going well, until Nico stood and the room spun dangerously, making his nausea return with a vengeance.</p>
<p>“Oh gods.” Nico tipped his head forward and squeezed his eyes shut. He really didn’t want to throw up on Will.</p>
<p>“Breathe through it. You’re doing good.”</p>
<p>Nico waited for his stomach to settle and for the room to stop spinning before he opened his eyes. It was only then that he realized his had his head resting against Will’s shoulder. He resisted the urge to jerk away and inched back instead, the skeletal butterflies in his stomach not helping his nausea.</p>
<p>“You okay?” Will was still close, face filled with concern. His hand on Nico’s back was warm and comforting. He was sure that if he collapsed, Will would catch him.</p>
<p>Nico didn’t want to move any further away from him. “I think I’m good.”</p>
<p>“Let’s try a few steps then.” Will reoriented them so he had an arm wrapped around Nico’s waist, and Nico’s uninjured arm was hooked over his shoulders.</p>
<p>Will opened the curtain sectioning them off from the rest of the infirmary. Nico expected everyone to stare at him again. Instead, at most they glanced in his direction, then went back to their conversations. Only Will’s sister, Kayla, paid them any attention.</p>
<p>She grinned. “Good to see you’re up. I’ve heard Will’s been taking <em>good</em> care of you.”</p>
<p>“We’re heading out for a bit,” Will said hastily. “Would you mind changing his sheets while we’re gone?”</p>
<p>She rolled her eyes. “Fine, fine. Just behave, or I’ll send Coach Hedge looking for you.”</p>
<p>“Yes, ma’am.”</p>
<p>It was nice outside, the sun warming Nico’s skin. There were a few campers heading towards activities, but most were hanging around their cabins, relaxing and talking with their friends. Everywhere Nico looked, there were bandages and casts – everyone was recovering from the war.</p>
<p>“Nico!”</p>
<p>He jumped at the sound of Percy’s voice. He was standing outside the Athena cabin with Annabeth, a bag thrown over his shoulder. He turned and said something to her, then ran over. Nico slowed to a stop, entirely aware of the way Will’s arm tightened around him.</p>
<p>“Hey.” Percy’s grin was bright, not betraying any discomfort Nico thought he might have felt after confessing his former crush. “It’s good you’re up. I wanted to say bye before I left.”</p>
<p>“You’re leaving?” Nico’s heart didn’t ache – not like it may have a year earlier. Instead, his stomach turned. Maybe Percy wasn’t as comfortable as he was acting. Did Nico scare him away?</p>
<p>“Yeah. I’m going to visit my mom. It’s been almost a year since Hera <em>kidnapped </em>me and I haven’t seen her since.”</p>
<p><em>Oh</em>. Nico met her a couple times. She was kind and beautiful. She always made sure Nico was fed before he left. Nico remembered how when he showed up at Percy’s 15<sup>th</sup> birthday and she stuffed him full of cake and ice cream until he could hardly keep his eyes open. He smiled at the memory.</p>
<p>“I’ll be gone for a about a week or so,” Percy continued. “Then I’ll be back for the rest of Summer. Jason mentioned you’d be staying here?” Percy looked hopeful. “Is that true?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” Nico cast a glance at Will, who was smiling down at him. “I’ve decided to stay.”</p>
<p>“Good. I mean, I’m glad.” Percy glanced towards Will. “You’re taking care of him?”</p>
<p>“Of course.”</p>
<p>“You’ll have your work cut out for you,” Percy said. “He’s kind of…”</p>
<p>“Dense?” Will raised his eyebrows.</p>
<p>“Hey,” Nico interjected.</p>
<p>Percy snorted. “I was going to say reckless, but yeah. That too.”</p>
<p>“You don’t get to talk about recklessness,” Nico said.</p>
<p>Percy rolled his eyes. “That being said, both of you take care. Don’t get into any trouble without me.”</p>
<p>They said their goodbyes and Percy went back to join Annabeth. Nico, feeling progressively more stable since leaving the infirmary, began walking again. Will walked with him, still supplying support. Nico didn’t tell him that he no longer needed it. He liked the feeling of Will’s arm around him. They walked around the training ground, watching various demigods train.</p>
<p>Nico waved to Clarisse before heading back to the infirmary. He wanted to stay out later, but Will promised Kayla they wouldn’t be gone too long, and Nico really didn’t want Coach Hedge to interrupt them. Besides, Will had hardly any sleep and Nico didn’t want to tire him out anymore.</p>
<p>When they got back to the infirmary, Kayla was busy discharging a patient. Nico noticed a few of the beds that were occupied that morning were also empty. Nico sat back down on his own bed, smiling to himself as Will took of his shoes.</p>
<p>“You’re in a good mood,” Will said.</p>
<p>Nico laid back in bed. “It was a good morning.”</p>
<p>Will hummed. “You look nice when you smile.”</p>
<p>“Do I?” Nico couldn’t help but smile more.</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Will said softly. “Like that.” Will reached towards him with an aborted movement, his hand hovering in the air.</p>
<p>Nico swallowed thickly, and then grabbed Will’s hand before he lost the nerve or before Will pulled away. Will’s eyes widened.</p>
<p>“This is okay?” Will’s thumb traced along Nico’s knuckles.</p>
<p>Will’s mouth twitched up into a smile, and his eyes gleamed like when he wanted to tease Nico. Nico glared in challenge. Will opted to keep his mouth shut. He took Nico’s hand in both of his and started playing with his fingers.</p>
<p>“There’s less darkness in your hand now.” Will said. “A couple more weeks and you should be able to start using your powers again.” He cupped Nico’s hand and gave it a soft squeeze. “So long as we monitor it.”</p>
<p>Nico groaned. “Two <em>weeks</em>? I thought I only needed three days?”</p>
<p>“Three days in the <em>infirmary</em>. The rest can be spent at your cabin, and you can start incorporating light physical activities. Then, <em>finally</em>, your underworld powers. You overextended yourself. You need a lot of time to recover from that. If you do too much, you’re only going to delay your recovery.”</p>
<p>“I don’t like laying about.”</p>
<p>“I’ll come keep you company,” Will winked. “The two weeks will be over before you know it. Then, we can re-evaluate from there and see what the next steps are. But for now, lets get through these next two days, and make sure those werewolf scratches don’t get infected again. Or else I’ll have to keep you here for longer.”</p>
<p>“Sounds like you’ll be here every step of the way.” It wouldn’t be as bad, so long as Will was there with him. He’d get bored without his annoying face around.</p>
<p>“Of course,” Will said. “You’re mi – you’re <em>my</em> patient.”</p>
<p>Was it strange for Nico to say he was kind of looking forward to it?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Morning, Sleepy Head.” Something ruffled Nico’s hair, making him grumble and bury his face deeper into his pillow. A hand ran through his hair again, prompting Nico to glare up at the culprit. Will was standing beside his bed, looking all too good in the glow of the morning light. The sun woke Nico up ten minutes earlier when Kayla opened the curtains around his bed. He was during his best to avoid the light, so he could fall back asleep.</p>
<p>“Go away,” Nico groaned.</p>
<p>“In a bit,” Will promised. “But before you go back to sleep, we should at least get some fluids in you. Unless you want an I.V.?” After they got back from their walk yesterday, Nico went to bed immediately. Considering that was before lunch, Nico slept almost twenty hours.</p>
<p>“No I.V.” Nico didn’t want any needles sticking in his skin. He sat up slowly. He was really stiff, but in less pain than he was yesterday. Will hovered around him, ready to help if Nico needed him. Will had a glass of water and a couple squares of ambrosia on the table by his bedside. In addition, was the same pink concoction as yesterday, plus what looked to be some porridge.</p>
<p>Will handed him the water and ambrosia first. “Take your time. Don’t drink too quickly.”</p>
<p>Nico made a face at him. He ate his ambrosia and sipped his water. He <em>was </em>really thirsty. The concoction came next, and with it, the porridge, which was still warm. Nico worked on both, though it was still a lot harder for him to eat than he liked. He looked forward to the days when he could eat at least somewhat normally again.</p>
<p>Once Will was sure he was eating, he turned to his own breakfast of porridge filled with fruit, and a couple sausages thrown on top like he wasn’t bothered to grab a plate. Will’s cup was full of strong-smelling coffee, making Nico somewhat jealous.</p>
<p>Will was called away by his sister, Kayla. He patted Nico’s leg and stood, going to deal with another patient. Nico was surprised to find himself disappointed that he had to go. He liked Will’s company, even if he could be annoying.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, by the time he finished the food, he was wide awake. Away went his hopes of being able to catch another couple hours of sleep. Instead, he was stuck in his bed, bored out of his mind. He set his bowl and cup aside. He crossed his legs in front of him and watched Will dart about and give orders. Apparently, camp was already starting to get back to normal. Someone fell off the lava wall and got burned. Not ten minutes later, two people came in with injuries from the combat arena.</p>
<p>A Hephaestus kid came in with burns from the forge. Someone from the archery range came in with an arrow lodged in their thigh. Somehow one of the Demeter kids broke their ankle in the strawberry fields. It went on and on and on. By all means, it seemed like it should have been chaos. But, Will directed patients to beds and assigned them healers. He helped where necessary.</p>
<p>He was calm and confident. This was his area of expertise, just like everything underworldy was Nico’s. So often, all the praise went to heroes like himself. But Will? He was a hero too. He saved lives. He made sure injuries were healed so that kids left the infirmary just as healthy as they were before they were injured.</p>
<p>Will was awesome.</p>
<p>When Will eventually came back, he pulled up a chair beside Nico’s bed and all but collapsed into it. “How you holding up?” He took Nico’s wrist in his hand, fingers over his pulse.</p>
<p>“Can’t you tell?”</p>
<p>Will hummed. “Yeah. Just curious if you’d lie.”</p>
<p>Nico scowled. “Well, I’m tired, but don’t think I could sleep. And I wish I could eat more, but I’d probably puke all over you.”</p>
<p>“Trust me, wouldn’t be the first or last time I’ve been puked on.” Will grimaced. “And your injuries? How much pain are you in?”</p>
<p>“Not a lot.”</p>
<p>Will eyebrows rose.</p>
<p>“Not a lot, for me,” Nico amended. It was nothing like the pain he felt and Tartarus, and he had a high pain tolerance anyway.</p>
<p>“Okay,” Will said softly. “Do you want anything for the pain?”</p>
<p>“I’m good without.” Nico didn’t want to take if he didn’t have to.</p>
<p>Will didn’t press the matter any further. He nodded and relaxed in his chair. He tipped his head back and sighed softly.</p>
<p>“Is it always so busy here?” Nico nodded towards the healers still moving about and tending to the other patients.</p>
<p>Will groaned. “Only sometimes. I was hoping to have a few days of peace. Everyone is still really tired from healing injuries from the war.”</p>
<p>Nico frowned. “Is there anything I can do to help? You mentioned cutting bandages earlier –“</p>
<p>“Nico,” Will said. “The best thing you can do is rest. And I was joking about cutting bandages. I just wanted you here.” Will folded his arms on Nico’s bed and leaned forward.</p>
<p>“Oh,” Nico said softly. Will also said earlier that he wanted a friendly face. Nico couldn’t fathom why Will wanted to hang around him, but he appreciated it.</p>
<p>Will hummed. He leaned forward further, almost resting his head against his arms. He was blinking slowly. Nico could only imagine how tired he was. When was the last time he even left the infirmary?</p>
<p>“You should get some rest,” Nico said. “Hypocrite.”</p>
<p>“Hypocrite? Oh well…” But his eyes were already sliding shut as he slumped forward.</p>
<p>Nico glanced towards the table where Will left his coffee earlier. He was probably surviving on that and pure willpower. Judging by the dark bags under Will’s eyes, it was a few days since he last got a proper sleep. Nico watched him as he started to snore. He had a strange compulsion to run his fingers through Will’s golden curls. He wanted to see if they were as soft as they looked. It was fair – since Will already did that to Nico that morning – but he also didn’t want to accidently wake him up.</p>
<p>“So he finally passed out?” Kayla stood at the edge of the curtain. “We’ve been waiting for hours.” She made a gesture behind her and another medic came over with a light blanket. “You don’t mind if we leave his dumbass here, do you?”</p>
<p>Nico shook his head.</p>
<p>Kayla draped the blanket over his shoulders. “Maybe he’ll learn his lesson when he wakes up with a stiff neck. Then hopefully he’ll actually take some breaks next time.”</p>
<p>“I think he’s too stubborn to.”</p>
<p>Kayla snorted. “Probably. Try to get some rest too. Let us know if you need anything.” She stepped outside and closed the curtain behind her, leaving Nico and Will alone.</p>
<p>~ ~ ~</p>
<p>The next time Nico woke up, Will was still asleep where he left him. Figuring he was deep asleep, Nico gave into his earlier temptation and ran his fingers through Will’s hair. It <em>was</em> soft. And he wanted to do it again. So, he did.</p>
<p>Until his stomach growled. He frowned, surprised he was actually hungry. He pressed the button by his bed. A few moments later Kayla poked her head in the curtain and cocked an eyebrow.</p>
<p>“I’m hungry,” he explained.</p>
<p>“Oh, good.” Kayla stepped inside the curtain. “We were worried about your appetite. Think you could stomach solids?”</p>
<p>Nico definitely didn’t want anymore porridge or pink concoctions. “Definitely.” Hopefully. Probably.</p>
<p>“You haven’t gone for a walk today yet, have you?” When he shook his head, Kayla nodded. “I was just about to head to the dining pavilion with Austin to get food for everyone. Want to come with?”</p>
<p>Nico swung his legs out of bed slowly, then tentatively stood. Kayla came to stand at his side, ready to help him if he started to fall. The room wasn’t spinning, and he wasn’t swaying. He took a couple steps. Still good. Perfect. He was practically recovered. Just one more day in the infirmary and he was home-free. The only thing was that he would miss seeing Will’s stupid face. Maybe he could pay him a visit occasionally…</p>
<p>The more Nico walked, the better he felt. By the time they were halfway to the dining pavilion, Kayla decided she could trust Nico not to fall over. Instead of hovering by his side, she talked with Austin about archery.</p>
<p>The dining pavilion smelled like barbecue, making Nico’s stomach give an appreciate rumble. As they made their way over to the food, Nico saw a familiar blonde head poke up. Jason gave him a wave, then came jogging over.</p>
<p>“Hey, you’re looking a lot better.” Jason gave him a once-over. “Did they release you already?’</p>
<p>Nico snorted. “No. I’m just allowed out for my daily walk.”</p>
<p>Kayla patted his uninjured shoulder. “Don’t worry. We’re taking good care of him.”</p>
<p>“<em>Will’s </em>taking good care of him,” Austin amended with a grin.</p>
<p>Nico ignored the way his cheeks heated. He also ignored the small smile that was playing on Jason’s lips.</p>
<p>Jason pointed at Nico. “Mind if I borrow him for a moment?”</p>
<p>Kayla shrugged. “Sure, whatever. Nico, what do you want us to pack up for you?”</p>
<p>Nico cast a glance at the dinner spread. “Mashed potatoes, ham and cookies?”</p>
<p>“Sure. I’ll be adding some vegetables to make Will happy though.”</p>
<p>Nico wrinkled his nose, but didn’t complain. Jason was already leading him away. They stepped far enough away that no one would hear them talk quietly. Jason turned to face him, expression surprisingly serious.</p>
<p>“You doing okay?”</p>
<p>“I’m fine.” Nico moved his injured arm slightly. “It seems to be healing okay.”</p>
<p>Jason smiled. “That’s good. I’m glad. But, it’s also not what I meant. I overheard what you said to Percy. I’m proud of you.” Nico wrinkled his nose a little at that – Jason had a habit of treating him like a little brother. It was kind of nice. But also annoying.</p>
<p>Nico frowned. “I just hope he doesn’t – that this doesn’t make things awkward between us. I talked to him yesterday, and everything seems alright, but –“ Nico shook his head. “I don’t know.”</p>
<p>“He’ll be fine.” Jason said. “Trust me.”</p>
<p>Nico didn’t think that was true. “And how do you know that?”</p>
<p>Jason sighed. “Because he harassed me yesterday about checking in on you and making sure you were okay.” Jason raised an eyebrow. “As if I wouldn’t do that already.”</p>
<p>Nico frowned. “But are you sure –“</p>
<p>“I’m sure.”</p>
<p>Nico frowned, but didn’t argue any further. He glanced towards Kayla and Austin, who were conversing and filling containers with food.</p>
<p>“How’s the infirmary treating you? I came to visit earlier, but you were sleeping.” Jason’s expression became serious again when Nico frowned.</p>
<p>“It’s… okay.” Nico said. “Sometimes it feels like everyone is staring at me. But it’s weird.”</p>
<p>Jason raised an eyebrow. “Weird how?”</p>
<p>Nico pondered the question. “I guess… they aren’t glaring. And they don’t look scared either.”</p>
<p>“Maybe it’s because you’re this super cool hot-shot demigod that saved the camp?” Kayla came up beside them and nudged Nico’s shoulder with her own, her arms full of food.</p>
<p>Nico stared blankly at her. “…what?”</p>
<p>Austin rolled his eyes at Kayla. “Please don’t start. I have to hear it enough from Will.”</p>
<p>Nico was confused. Although, Jason was grinning beside him.</p>
<p>“I’m guessing you should all be getting back to the infirmary.” Jason extended his arms and waited. Nico supposed hugs were something they did now. He stepped into Jason’s embrace and hugged him back. “If you need anything,” Jason said. “Let me know. Promise?”</p>
<p>Nico scoffed. “Not that I wouldn’t be able to take care of it myself.”</p>
<p>“I know. Still.” Jason squeezed him once more before releasing him.</p>
<p>Nico, Kayla and Austin headed back to the infirmary with the food. Nico would have offered to carry some, if he thought they would have allowed it. Instead he walked beside them, trying not to feel too awkward.</p>
<p>Will was still asleep when they got back, though Nico swore he saw him twitch when the smell of dinner wafted through the infirmary. Austin and Kayla took out some plates and doled out the food. Nico got his portion of ham and potatoes, with some stir-fried veggies on the side. It was more than enough for him to eat. He sat back in his bed beside Will, food in his lap. Will’s portion was resting on the table next to him, untouched.</p>
<p>Nico grabbed his pillow and whacked him in the head with it. Will awoke with a great snort, almost tipping his chair over as he jerked back. He grabbed at the pillow in confusing, then glanced up at Nico with a glare.</p>
<p>“You woke me up this morning for food.” Nico stabbed a piece of ham with his fork. “This is payback.”</p>
<p>Will groaned, glancing around. He rubbed his neck with a wince. “Is it dinner already?”</p>
<p>“Yeah. You kept me up with your snoring for a good few hours.” Nico muttered. “So much for getting rest here.”</p>
<p>Will crossed his arms. “Oh well, I suppose we could always keep you for another day then. If you do need the rest.” He raised an eyebrow.</p>
<p>Absolutely not. “I take it back. I slept like the dead.” Nico took a bite of the mashed potatoes. They were garlicy and buttery and <em>so good</em>. He was glad to being eating solid food. He’d worked himself back up to almost a normal appetite back on the <em>Argo II</em> after being trapped in the bronze jar. Then he shadow-travelled half-way across the world, almost died multiple times, and almost dissolved into the shadows from overusing his powers. One step forward, and only five backward. Decent for him.</p>
<p>He hoped that this time, he could get ahead. At least a little bit.</p>
<p>He skewered a piece of broccoli and stared at it contemplatively. It didn’t look nearly as bad cooked as it did raw, and the sauce it was covered in smelled pretty good. Nico took a bite. It wasn’t bad. Definitely not his favourite. But he could stomach it.</p>
<p>Burgers, Nico promised himself. Soon. As soon as he got the okay to shadow travel again, he was going to McDonald’s. Burgers. Chicken nuggets. French fries. Milkshakes. All the good and delicious things. He wondered if Will liked anything from there. Judging by all vegetables on his plate, he ate pretty healthy, but most people liked to indulge occasionally. Maybe Nico could get him a Big Mac. It <em>did</em> have lettuce on it. That had to count for something.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, Nico couldn’t finish all his food. His stomach started churning when he was two-thirds of the way through it. He put it aside, staring at the unfinished mashed potatoes mournfully. He laid down, hoping if would make him feel slightly better.</p>
<p>“You good?” Will asked between bites of ham.</p>
<p>Nico flipped him off.</p>
<p>“Just fine then?” Still, Will lightly brushed his fingers against Nico’s wrist. Nico didn’t know what he was checking for, but he must not have found anything bad, since he pulled back wordlessly. He went back to his own food.</p>
<p>Kayla came around with some cookies. Surprisingly, it seemed Will had a sweet tooth. He snagged himself a few cookies, and saved one for Nico when he asked. He’d have it when he wasn’t five seconds from puking his guts out.</p>
<p>“You sure you’re doing good?”</p>
<p>Nico groaned. “I’m doing my best not to blow bits all over your shoes.”</p>
<p>Will kicked a white pail to the edge of the bed. “Use that if you have to. I can get some pillows to prop you up a bit, if you want them.”</p>
<p>Nico shook his head. All he needed was for it to pass. He wasn’t unfamiliar with the feeling. He had it multiple times when getting used to food again. He closed his eyes and focused on taking deep breaths. He didn’t even notice Will left until he came back a few minutes later.</p>
<p>“Here.” Will pushed some of Nico’s hair out of his face. “Ginger tea. It’s iced.” He held the straw close to Nico’s mouth. “Take a few sips and see if it helps.”</p>
<p>Nico tentatively lifted his head to do so, relieved when it didn’t make his stomach turn more than it already was. Will set the drink on the table afterward and pressed his palm against Nico’s forehead.</p>
<p>“What are you doing?” Nico started to turn his head away.</p>
<p>“Checking your temperature. Stay still.”</p>
<p>“Why?” Nico grumbled.</p>
<p>“Can’t be too careful, especially with your clawed arm. Werewolf injuries tend to be particularly prone to infection, even with ambrosia and proper medical practice.” Will fixed Nico with a glare. “And <em>these</em> were not properly treated for days. So excuse me for being thorough.” Will dropped his hand. “No fever.”</p>
<p>“I could have told you that. Food just…” Nico glared at his plate. “Isn’t agreeing with me.” He wanted really badly to start eating normally again, but it didn’t seem like that was a possibility yet.</p>
<p>Will pursed his lips. “We could try to arrange a meal plan. Keep track of what you eat and how your body responds to it.” Will chewed his lip nervously. “When did the aversion to food start?”</p>
<p>Nico clenched his teeth. “After I was captured. I ate pomegranate seeds from Persephone’s garden. They put me in a death-trance for days so I could live for longer without much oxygen, food and water.” Nico picked at the blankets over his legs.</p>
<p>“Okay.” Will said softly. “We’ll work something up later. Do you have any… goals for eating?”</p>
<p>“Just – normally. And I’d really like a burger.”</p>
<p>Will huffed a laugh. “I think we can work with that.” </p>
<p>Nico’s nausea was starting to ease. Fortunately, all he needed was a little time for the food to settle. He sat up slowly, and reached for the rest of ginger tea. The glass was nice and cool in his hand. He drank the rest of it, pleased to see Will had stopped worrying over him and gone back to his own meal.</p>
<p>Unsurprisingly, the moment Nico put his head back down, his eyelids started to droop. He wondered if he would be lucky enough to sleep through most of tomorrow as well. Then he could be back in his hideous bed in his cabin with more privacy. And also, blackout curtains.</p>
<p>Nico felt the fabric around him shift as Will pulled his blankets up.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Nico felt like there was a chunk of ice growing in his stomach. He swallowed his third pomegranate seed, the air around him suffocating. He didn’t know how much longer he could last. He had the seeds to put him in a near-death state, but he had no idea how much oxygen he had left.</p>
<p>With a shaky hand, he scratched another line into the wall. Then he curled back into himself on the floor. As the days passed, he only became more confused. Time didn’t have meaning anymore. The only thing that kept him remotely grounded were the scratches on the wall. He was fading. More and more.</p>
<p>Then he would die.</p>
<p>And then –</p>
<p>He could breath again. He gasped greedily, groaning when the air burned his parched throat. He tried to move, but his limbs were so stiff he could hardly twitch. There was a fight – he could tell that much. Then someone was pulling him – Piper? He felt relief until she turned.</p>
<p>Akhlys smiled down at him, tears running down her face as she cupped his cheeks. “You’re so <em>perfect</em>. Your suffering is exquisite.”</p>
<p>The breath of Tartarus burned his throat as he breathed. He felt the blisters on his skin popping, and despite how much it burned, he ached to drink more fire from the Phlegethon, one of the many rivers running through Tartarus like arteries.</p>
<p>He squeezed his eyes shut and wished it would all go away. But every time his opened his eyes, he was living in the waking nightmare. His was living in Tartarus’ body. Breathing his breath. Drinking his blood. Living his dream. What was real? What wasn’t? Was Nico even alive? Did it even matter?</p>
<p>He’d never be free of this place.</p>
<p><em>Never</em>.</p>
<p>Nico awoke with a gasp, clawing at his bedsheets. He shook uncontrollably as he took rapid breaths. The room was dark, but Nico could make out familiar curtains, and smell antiseptic. The air didn’t burn his lungs. He skin wasn’t covered in blisters. The only part of him that hurt was his shoulder.</p>
<p>The infirmary. He was in the infirmary. Will brought him there nearly three days earlier so Nico could get some rest. Nico suddenly found his little curtain-offed area too small. It felt like the walls were closing in on him.</p>
<p>He frantically shoved the blankets off him and stumbled out of bed. He yanked the curtains open, startling Will, who stood on the other hand with his hand raised. He said something Nico couldn’t hear. Nico pushed past him, not sparing him a glance. He strode towards the exit and shoved it open. He didn’t stop until he was outside.</p>
<p>The air was crisp and fresh – the darkness of night seeming to go on forever. Nico sat on the front steps, practically collapsing. He pulled his knees to his chest, feeling a few raindrops hit his face. They were surprisingly warm.</p>
<p>Will said nothing as he sat beside Nico. But when he reached out towards him, Nico recoiled violently. The hand dropped back to Will’s side. Nico didn’t know how long they sat there. Slowly, but steadily, he was drenched by the rain. He was grateful for it. At least he could pretend he wasn’t crying.</p>
<p>He would never escape. Not truly. Not when his dreams dragged him back.</p>
<p>“Nico.”</p>
<p>Will’s voice just made him want to curl up further.</p>
<p>“We should get you inside. It’s not good for your wounds to get wet.”</p>
<p>Nico nodded numbly and slowly rose. He felt disjointed. His body moved, but he hardly felt it. He was watching himself from somewhere else. He was in control, but he wasn’t.</p>
<p>Will guided him back to his bed and closed the curtains behind them. The enclosed space didn’t make his panic like before, but Nico still closed his eyes and focused on breathing through his nose. His hands coiled into fists at his sides. Will said something to him again, then disappeared for a couple minutes. He came back wearing dry clothes and carrying some more for Nico. Plus a couple towels.</p>
<p>“Can you manage on your own?” Will put the clothes on the bed and handed Nico a towel. “Leave the sweater off for now. I need to look at your shoulder.”</p>
<p>Nico nodded. He waited for Will to step outside the curtain before he undid his sweater and shrugged it off. His bandages were soaked. He grimaced. He dropped the sweater to the floor. His pants followed. He dried off quickly and stepped into the dry sweatpants.</p>
<p>“You can come in,” Nico murmured. He left the new sweater folded on the bed. He sat beside it, his feet dangling off the edge. He didn’t look up as Will came to stand beside him. Instead, he stared at his hands, twisting one of his rings.</p>
<p>“Nico.” Will’s hands hovered over him. “Can I touch you? I’ll do it as minimally as possible.”</p>
<p>When Nico nodded, Will grabbed some gloves. He watched Will closely as he pulled the medical tape off Nico’s arm and removed the damp bandage.</p>
<p>“It’s not bad,” Will said. “We’ll dry it and redress it. It’s still not healing quite as quickly as I’d like.”</p>
<p>Will was efficient in his movements. He worked in silence, gaze focused. Nico found himself slowly relaxing. As his tense shoulders dropped, Nico let his eyes slid shut. He focused on the feeling on Will’s gentle hands. He could feel the warmth of his body against his side, despite them being a foot apart. When Will finished covering his wound, he pulled back.</p>
<p>“You should try to get some more sleep.”</p>
<p>Nico’s eyes snapped open. <em>Sleep</em>? Nico sent him a glare, his lip curling. “Are you kidding? You think I could sleep?”</p>
<p>“…I guess not.” Will paused. “What are you thinking of doing then?”</p>
<p>Nico grimaced. “Normally, I would train.”</p>
<p>Will’s lips pursed. “I can’t let you do that.”</p>
<p><em>“I know</em>.” Nico clenched his teeth. He was exhausted, but he knew the moment he drifted off, the nightmares would be back. If he trained, he could keep himself awake. If he trained, he had something to do to distract himself.</p>
<p>“Okay.” Will held out his hands placatingly. He ducked down and grabbed the discarded clothes from the floor. “I have an idea. Hang tight. <em>Don’t </em>move. I have a couple things to grab.” Then Nico was alone again. He stared at the curtains swishing back and forth with a pinched expression. Will had closed them again. He wasn’t claustrophobic like before, but the enclosed space bothered him.</p>
<p>Will came back with books. No, they were actually comics. Will never struck Nico as the nerdy type, but he supposed anything was possible. He set the comics beside Nico and pulled out an old iPod with earbuds.</p>
<p>Will offered him one. “Music?”</p>
<p>Nico scowled, but took it. Will handed him the iPod and let him scroll through the songs.</p>
<p>“I know it’s not much, but it’s better than nothing, right?”</p>
<p>Will eyes were hopeful, but his brow was still furrowed with worry. Nico nodded, pressed play on a random song and adjusted the volume. He offered the other to Will with a raised eyebrow, shifting over in his bed to accommodate him. Nico wondered if it was selfish of him for wanting Will to stay, even though he was almost as sleep-deprived as Nico. He wondered if it was selfish to want him so close when he jerked away from his touch earlier like it would have burnt him.</p>
<p>Will took the earbud slowly, sitting on the bed beside Nico. He put the earbud in his ear, casting Nico furtive glances as he stared blankly at the ceiling. He sat stiffly, like he was afraid to move. He must have caught Nico staring at the books just on the other side of him, because he snagged one and handed it to him. He set the others on the table behind him.</p>
<p>Nico frowned a little bit at the comic. Superheroes weren’t really his type of thing anymore. Still, he cracked it open and started leafing through the pages. Next to him, Will was gradually relaxing. He went from sitting up stiffly, to being half-reclined on the bed. He was starting to drift off.</p>
<p>Nico would have been worried for the other patients if he didn’t hear the occasionally noises outside the curtains indicating there was someone else working. If they needed Will, they would get him. Besides, he was overworked and needed the sleep. And Nico wasn’t exactly making things easier for him.</p>
<p>Halfway through the comic, Will finally fell asleep. He snored quietly as Nico’s side, close enough his breaths tickled the side of Nico’s head. Nico finished his comic rather quickly, then reached for another one. It was an entirely different series, but it didn’t really bother him. He wasn’t paying too close attention to the stories anyway.</p>
<p>When Nico settled back into his spot, he must have disturbed Will in some way. He grumbled, shifted in his sleep, and flopped an arm over Nico’s stomach. Nico stiffened in response. He wasn’t in nearly as bad as a mental state as before, but the touch was still unexpected. Will’s arm was warm, heavy… and not entirely unwelcome. The touch was about as non-threatening as it got.</p>
<p>As much as Nico sometimes disliked being touched, there were times he craved it. He’d pushed people away for so long. He was afraid of letting anyone get to close, in fear he would lose them like he lost his mom. Like he lost Bianca. He was the son of Hades, and death seemed to follow him no matter where he went. He was like a curse – a bad luck omen. People thought he was scary. People thought he was creepy. He was unwelcome.</p>
<p>Except…</p>
<p>Jason accepted him. Accepted him in his entirety. Percy was his friend, despite everything. Annabeth didn’t hate him. Reyna cared for him like she was his big sister. And Hazel was his sister – and she loved him. There was Piper, Frank and Leo too. And then there was Will, who apparently wasn’t afraid of him at all. Despite his best efforts, it seemed he had a new family after all.</p>
<p>And he really didn’t feel like running away anymore. It was nice when Jason hugged him. He loved to kiss his sister’s forehead. He liked when Percy threw an arm over his shoulders. His heart warmed when Reyna took care of him. He felt elated with something as simple as Annabeth’s high-five.</p>
<p>But sometimes being touched was unbearable. Sometimes he didn’t know what triggered it. Other times it was painfully obvious – like the nightmares he had. He didn’t know if it was something that he would ever get away from. But he could work with it.</p>
<p>And when he was okay with being touched – when he <em>wanted</em> to be touched – he decided he wouldn’t avoid it.</p>
<p>Nico, moving as little as possible, grabbed the edge of his blanket and dragged it over Will. Nico didn’t think he could manage to get a pillow under his head without waking him, but a blanket was something to keep him warm.</p>
<p>Nico went back to reading the comics, hardly noticing when the sun started to rise. There were more noises in the infirmary – quiet conversations and footsteps of the medics arriving for their morning shifts. Before long, Nico could smell food, which meant breakfast arrived. Other patients were waking up as the medics did their morning rounds.</p>
<p>Minutes later, Nico wasn’t surprised when Kayla stepped inside the curtain. She froze when she saw Will sleeping, and Nico awake next to him. Nico offered a small wave, but her eyes were already narrowed as she advanced on Will. She looked like she wanted to kick him.</p>
<p>She turned to Nico. “How are you feeling this morning?”</p>
<p>Nico was a little startled by the question. “Good. I’m – I’m good.”</p>
<p>She relaxed a fraction. “Okay. Are you feeling up for breakfast today?”</p>
<p>Nico considered it, thinking of his nausea from dinner. But, he kept the food down before, so he figured he would be able to do it again. “Yeah. No pink drink?”</p>
<p>Kayla cracked a smile. “No pink drink. How do you feel about vitamins? We have chewables.”</p>
<p>“Sounds okay.” The pink drinks weren’t <em>bad</em>, but he was definitely looking forward to not drinking them anymore.</p>
<p>Nico’s stomach gave an appreciative rumble when Kayla brought in a dish of scrambled eggs, buttered toast and fresh fruit, along with a cup of chocolate milk. Nico sat up. Will simply grumbled as his arm was dislodged. Nico immediately grabbed a piece of toast and shoved it in his mouth.</p>
<p>Will groaned beside him. “Food?”</p>
<p>“Go get your own.” Nico shifted his plate over to the side, keeping it safe from tired, overworked medics. He wasn’t sharing.</p>
<p>“Huh?” Will blinked up at Nico. He was adorably confused for a couple seconds before his eyes widened in realization. He sat up so quickly he almost fell out of bed. Nico couldn’t help but huff in amusement. Will put his head in his hands and groaned. “Kayla’s going to kill me.”</p>
<p>“She did look like she wanted to kick you,” Nico said helpfully.</p>
<p>“I was tempted.” Kayla stepped through the curtains with another tray for Will. “I told you that you were overworking yourself. And you didn’t listen. Like an idiot.”</p>
<p>Will sighed. He took the tray she offered. It was similar to Nico’s, except it had coffee instead of chocolate milk. Life wasn’t fair.</p>
<p>~ ~ ~</p>
<p>Nico was still wearing Will’s clothes when he was discharged that afternoon. He picked at the hem of the sweater, feeling eager to get back into his own clothes, but also not wanting to get out of Will’s. It was terribly embarrassing, but even more embarrassing was Nico’s urge to tuck his face against the material and smell it. He knew it smelled like Will’s laundry detergent, and somewhat like the antiseptic they used at the infirmary.</p>
<p>“You going to miss me?” Will was carrying Nico’s backpack back to the Hades cabin with him. Nico would have had no problem carrying it with his healthy side, but Will refused to let him do so.</p>
<p>Nico wrinkled his nose. “Why would I miss you?”</p>
<p>Will placed a hand to his chest and staggered back like he’d been stabbed. “So cruel.”</p>
<p>Nico rolled his eyes. “It’s not like either of us are going anywhere. We’ll still see each other.” Especially during meals, since Will and Nico made his meal plan. Will said they would have to continually adjust it. Nico’s erratic sleeping habits would make the planning more difficult, but they would work on those later. </p>
<p>Will’s expression brightened. “Does that mean you’ll come visit me?”</p>
<p>“Maybe.” Nico turned his face away to hide his smile. Visiting Will sounded good. He didn’t know what excuses he would make up to do so, but he could always figure that out later. “I don’t get injured too often though.”</p>
<p>Will groaned. “Okay… at least I know you’ll come if you’re injured.”</p>
<p>“More like I know you’ll chase me down if I don’t come.”</p>
<p>“Damn right.” Will grinned. “That being said – I’ll also know if you’re spending too much time in your cabin because you over-trained and passed out. Which – if you’ve listened to my advice – I won’t have to worry about for another two weeks.”</p>
<p>“I did listen. I don’t intend on fading away.” The prospect still scared Nico.</p>
<p>“Good.” They reached the doorstep of Nico’s cabin. “Remember to come in every three days to have your wound checked. And if you get a fever, notice any redness or discharge from the wound, come <em>immediately</em>.”</p>
<p>Nico nodded and opened the door to his cabin. He didn’t look forward to sleeping in his coffin bed. As soon as Annabeth and Percy were back from the city, he was intending to ask her for help remodeling. It would be a good way to pass the time while he was recovering as well.</p>
<p>“Oh…” Will was looking over Nico’s shoulder at the cabin interior. “It looks –“</p>
<p>“Terrible,” Nico finished. “I hate it.”</p>
<p>Will laughed. “Okay, I was going to lie. But yeah, pretty bad. You sure you’re okay staying here?”</p>
<p>“I’m sure.” Nico sighed. “I’ll get it fixed up soon enough.”</p>
<p>Will frowned. “Let me know if you need something. And make sure you come visit, preferably uninjured.” He handed Nico his bag. “Make sure you take care of yourself, alright?” He stepped away.</p>
<p>Nico grabbed his wrist without thinking. He didn’t want him to go just yet. “I –“ He swallowed thickly, then dropped Will’s wrist. He didn’t know what to say. To many thoughts swirled around in his head. He wanted to thank him. He wanted him to stay. He wanted to ask him why he cared so much. All he could manage was a dumb expression.</p>
<p>Will laughed and opened his arms. Nico hesitated, then stepped forward so Will could wrap him up in hug. Will’s embrace was warm and comforting. Nico quickly relaxed into it, allowing his eyes to close and his head to tip forward against Will’s shoulder. He hugged him back, maybe a little too tightly. But Will didn’t seem to mind.</p>
<p>Will didn’t pull back until Nico did. His expression was achingly soft. “I’ll see you at breakfast, right?”</p>
<p>Nico shook his head. “I’ll probably sleep through it.” After how little sleep he got the previous night, and how exhausted he still was, he’d probably sleep for at least sixteen hours.</p>
<p>“Lunch?”</p>
<p>Nico shook his head.</p>
<p>Will deflated. “I’d say dinner then, but I have a shift.”</p>
<p>“I’ll come see you then.” Nico didn’t know what possessed him to say that, but when he saw Will’s happy expression, he couldn’t help but feel like he made the right choice.</p>
<p>“Rest well, Sunshine.” Will reached out, brushing their hands together. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Nico woke up earlier than expected, so he took a trip to the training grounds before dinner. It wasn’t that he was going to train – Will would rip him a new one for that. Rather, he was visiting a friend. A friend that almost sent him flying when she tackled him.</p><p>Nico grimaced as his face was covered in hellhound slobber. Mrs. O’Leary had him pinned with a giant paw on his chest until she was finished saying hello. Nico wiped his face off with his sleeve as Mrs. O’Leary prodded his bandaged shoulder with her nose. Nico reached up and scratched behind her ear.</p><p>Mrs. O’Leary bounded away, her giant tail wagging vigorously. She grabbed a bronze shield, trotted over, and dropped it at Nico’s feet. She stared at him, panting with excitement.</p><p>“Sorry, girl.” Nico patted her side. She was too tall for him to reach her ear while she was standing. “Will would kill me if I tore my stitches.”</p><p>She whined in response, then nosed at his shoulder again.</p><p>There were footsteps behind him. Clarisse walked up and grabbed the shield. She threw it with a grunt, sending it sailing for into the forest. With a yip, Mrs. O’Leary went chasing after it. There was a clang as the shield hit something – probably a tree.</p><p>“Welcome back, kid.” Clarisse’s grin looked more like a grimace. “Heard you were staying this time.”</p><p>Nico scowled. He was only a few years younger than her, but beside her, he really did look like a kid. She was as tall as a basketball player and her biceps were almost the size of his head. She could probably pick him up and throw him as far as the shield.</p><p>“That’s good,” she continued. “I’m going off to University with Chris soon, and we’re not going to have a lot of experienced year-rounders here anymore.”</p><p>Nico hummed. He didn’t really know why she seemed to be making that his problem.</p><p>“You’re good with just about any weapon, aren’t you?”</p><p><em>Except the bow.</em> “I prefer my sword.” He really wished he had it at his side. Clarisse was starting to make him uneasy.</p><p>Clarisse rolled her eyes. “I’m not asking which you prefer. I’m asking if you’re good enough to <em>teach</em>.”</p><p>Nico’s eyes widened. “You want me to <em>teach</em>?” He hardly thought he was teaching material. He didn’t have the most patience. And most people were creeped out by him, or even worse – scared.</p><p>“I want you to give it a try.” Clarisse thumped him on the back, thankfully missing his messed-up shoulder. “I’ll be here for a couple more weeks. Come by the combat arena for the next few days. I’ll show you the ropes.”</p><p>Nico frowned. “But Will said –“</p><p>Clarisse shook her head. “I’m not telling you to spar, am I? Just help provide some instruction. It’ll be easier than you think.”</p><p>“But –“</p><p>“Great. Tomorrow at nine. See you then.” She left with a wave over her shoulder.</p><p>Nico frowned to himself, taking a seat on the ground. A week ago, he wouldn’t have thought of staying at Camp Half-Blood, let alone taking up an important role there. It wasn’t really in his comfort zone, but then again, nothing ever was. But, he wanted to make an effort there, so he supposed it wouldn’t hurt to try.</p><p>Mrs. O’Leary came bounding back with the shield in her mouth. She looked side to side, then spun around. She looked to Nico, whining.</p><p>“She already left.” Nico held out his hand. Mrs. O’Leary dropped the shield and trotted over. She sniffed his hand like she was looking for a treat, then licked it. “You’ve been making more friends, haven’t you?” Nico scratched a spot under her chin that made her leg start twitching. “I have too. I guess that’s good for both of us, huh?”</p><p>He let Mrs. O’Leary lick him a few more times, then got to his feet, his clothes disgustingly damp.</p><p>“Guess I have to wash up before dinner.” Nico huffed. He petted Mrs. O’Leary for as long as he could, then headed back to his cabin. People were already starting to head to the pavilion. One of Will’s siblings waved at him from their cabin porch. Nico awkwardly waved back.</p><p>Once inside his own cabin, he peeled his clothes off, wrinkling his nose when they stuck to his skin. His jeans were the worst. He tossed the clothes in his laundry basket and wrapped some plastic wrap he got from a Hermes kid around his bandages to help keep them dry. Still, he only stepped about half-way under the spray, using a washcloth to help clean himself. Hellhound slobber was harder to get off than it had any right to be.</p><p>He wrapped a towel around himself once he was done, then went on a hunt for some clean clothes. He had a limited amount, being down to a measly two pairs of pants and a few shirts. The pants were a bit big on him, so he grabbed his belt. The plain black t-shirt was a struggle with his shoulder, even though he was steadily gaining back mobility. It was easier to get a sweater on, which he decided to wear despite the heat.</p><p>Once dressed, he holstered his sword at his side. It wasn’t like he could use it with his dominant arm, but he felt better having it with him. He ran his fingers through his damp hair and he was good to go.</p><p>~ ~ ~</p><p>The infirmary was emptier than yesterday. More people were recovering from the war and returning to their daily lives at camp. As a result, some healers were lounging about and talking while Kayla and Will were delivering dinner to the patients.</p><p>Nico leaned against the wall with a plate loaded with finger-food. He knew Will would get a serving doled out like everyone else at the infirmary, but he figured it didn’t hurt to bring a little extra. When Will finished with the patients, he cast a look around, his expression brightening when he saw Nico.</p><p>“So you did come.” He said that like he thought Nico would chicken out. He gestured to Nico’s plate. “You’re not planning on eating all that yourself, are you?”</p><p>Nico wrinkled his nose. “You think I’d eat raw celery?”</p><p>“Fair.” Will grabbed the plate Kayla set out for him. “Come on. Let’s go get a place to sit.”</p><p>It turned out the place to sit was out on the porch of the Big House facing the woods. Nico could still hear the shouts and talking of the other campers, but it was like him and Will had their own little secluded space.</p><p>He didn’t know why he felt nervous all of a sudden.</p><p>The plate was set between them, keeping them less than two feet apart. Will was stretched out like a lazy cat, long legs extended as he leaned back on elbow so he was angled towards Nico. Nico definitely didn’t notice the way his shirt rode up to reveal a sliver of his tan stomach.</p><p>Nico grabbed an egg roll and bit into the corner of it. It was crisp and tasty. He watched Will out of the corner of his eye. He had yet to take any of the food. Instead, he was staring at Nico, eyes tracing a path down his body.</p><p>“How’s your shoulder feeling?”</p><p>Right. Will was probably just checking him over. “You worry too much,” Nico muttered. “It’s feeling fine. I’ve been resting.”</p><p>Will hummed, finally glancing away. He picked up cherry tomato and popped it in his mouth. Will’s gaze was distant as he stared off into the darkness of the forest. His curly hair fell over his forehead, almost down over his eyes. He’d need a haircut soon. Will wasn’t as muscular as some of the other demigods that spent hours training every day. Instead, he had a softness to him. Nico knew from when he held his hand that they were soft too, so unlike Nico’s callused ones. Nico wanted to reach out and hold his hand again. Nico looked back up at Will’s face, almost jerking back in surprise when he found Will smirking at him.</p><p>“I – “ Nico averted his gaze. “Um – How was your day?”</p><p>“It was good. Better, now that you’re here.” Will snagged an egg roll.</p><p>Nico grit his teeth and did his best to fight the blush rising to his cheeks. “You’re only saying that because I brought cookies.”</p><p>Will’s head whipped towards him. Nico produced a bag from his sweater pocket. Will sat up and snatched it right away. “You’re the <em>best</em>. Kayla <em>never</em> brings me cookies.”</p><p>Nico was embarrassed to admit his heart jumped at the praise. He ducked his head slightly as he ate. At least Will seemed to finally focus on the food rather than him, so he was allowed some space to breathe. He forced himself to calm down. He was the son of Hades, he was the Ghost King, he laughed in the faces of his enemies as he cut them down, and he would not get flustered by the too-hot son of Apollo.</p><p>They ate in silence, Will finishing what Nico didn’t. Nico was surprised how big of an appetite Will had, but he supposed constantly healing all the injuries sustained at camp was taxing.</p><p>“You’ve got…” Will reached out, brushing something off Nico’s cheek – a crumb? Whatever. It didn’t really matter, because Nico’s attempts to calm himself were all in vain. Nico felt heat rush to his face. Will was leaning over, all too focused on Nico’s expression. His palm stayed on Nico’s face, warm and steady.</p><p>Nico licked his lips subconsciously. Will watched the movement closely. Nico was frozen, his brain short-circuiting. As Will leaned closer, Nico found himself matching him, his eyes sliding shut as he felt Will’s breath on his lips.</p><p>The back door of the big house flew open with a bang. Nico jerked away, his eyes flying open. Kayla was standing there with a grin, her arms cross over her chest. Will was glaring.</p><p>“Best hurry up, Will. Break’s over in five. A few campers came in with bones that need to be reset, so we’ll need you.”</p><p>“Right,” Will said. “I’ll be there soon.”</p><p>When Kayla left, Will turned back to Nico, who was staring into the forest. He didn’t dare meet Will’s eyes. He felt shame worm its way into his chest. He almost kissed Will. Will almost kissed him. But Will didn’t know him – not truly. It wasn’t fair to him.</p><p>Will sighed softly. He placed a hand on Nico’s uninjured shoulder. “Nico…”</p><p>“You should head in. I’ll clean up here.” Nico pushed to his feet and gathered their plates.</p><p>“Nico, wait.” Will caught his wrist, grip firm.</p><p>Nico turned to face him. Will’s gaze was searching, and a touch concerned. Part of Nico wanted to reach out and smooth the lines on his creased forehead. Instead, he stayed as still as possible, his heart beating unsteadily. He simultaneously wanted to pull away and step closer.</p><p>“I’d like it if you’d come see me again.” Will smiled. “I really like your company. Maybe next time we’ll get more time to ourselves.”</p><p>“Right.” Nico snatched his wrist back. “I should – I’m gonna…” Nico all but ran away.</p><p>~ ~ ~</p><p>After a night of fitful sleep, Nico met Clarisse at the combat arena. She was warming up by performing some basic techniques with her spear. Five other kids were about, standing by the weapon racks she brought out. Nico recognized two Aries campers and one of Will’s brothers, though the other two were unfamiliar to him.</p><p>Clarisse set her spear aside when she noticed Nico and went to greet him.</p><p>“Glad you showed up.” She rotated her right arm, loosening sore muscles. “Today’s an open practice session until lunch. A bunch of kids will be coming and going as they please. This is a pretty normal size to start out with. Some prefer to practice on their own, but we encourage them to spar as much as possible. Your job is to provide guidance. Offer tips and tricks. Fix bad habits. Occasionally train one-on-one if someone needs extra help. And most importantly, keep everyone in line and under control. Some kids tend to get a little heated, and then accidents happen. The medics get pissy if there’s too many injuries, so make sure you put your foot down if a spar starts going too far.”</p><p>Nico nodded. He figured Will was the pissiest out of all of them.</p><p>Clarisse clapped her hands together loudly. “Alright! We’re getting started. Pick up your weapons. If you haven’t warmed up, do so.”</p><p>The two Aries kids grinned to each other, grabbed weapons, and snagged one of the dirt arenas for spars. A boy with Hermes’ sharp features snagged a knife from the weapons rack with nimble fingers and started flipping it in his hand expertly. Will’s brother was watching with rapt attention. He tried to do the same with a different knife and fumbled it, narrowly yanking his foot out of the way before it was impaled. The Hermes kid laughed and clapped him on the back.</p><p>The fifth camper was a young girl, maybe around 10 years old – about the same age as when Nico first came to camp. She was still by the weapons rack, looking unsure. She reached for a sword, then pulled her hand back. Then she took a knife, frowning.</p><p>“That’s Lara, daughter of Aphrodite. She got here just a couple days before the war,” Clarisse said.</p><p>Nico was alarmed. “She didn’t fight, did she?”</p><p>“She did.” Clarisse’s lips were pursed. “Just like everyone else.”</p><p>Nico remembered being that age and suddenly being thrown into a world full of monsters. He was that age when he lost his sister and left camp. Gods, he was so young. And so was she.</p><p>She followed after the boys, watching closely as the Hermes kids displayed his skills again. She attempted it and almost sliced her hand.</p><p>Beside Nico, Clarisse sighed. “I’ll go show her some moves. Watch and learn.”</p><p>Nico kept his attention divided between the three groups. The Ares kids were doing well enough by themselves – it looked like they practiced together everyday. They were both very used to each other’s fighting styles. It would probably be better to get them to spar with other people as well. The Hermes and Apollo kid worried him a bit. The Hermes kid was getting the Apollo kid to practice skills that were far beyond his capabilities. It was only a matter of time before he injured himself.</p><p>Sure enough, there was a yelp as the Apollo kid cut a gash across him palm. Clarisse glanced up, rolled her eyes and went to scold them. Meanwhile, Nico focused back on Lara. She had a focused expression as she waved the knife around, but didn’t really seem to be all that into it.</p><p>Nico walked up to her. She looked up at him with wide brown eyes.</p><p>“Why’d you choose the knife?” Nico kept his voice quiet and soft, hoping not to come across as intimidating. Or scary. The last thing he needed was a kid to run away from him screaming because she was scared.</p><p>Instead, her face pinched up in anger. “Why not?”</p><p>Nico’s eyebrows raised. Well, she definitely wasn’t intimidated. “Because it looked like you wanted to take the sword earlier.”</p><p>Just like that, her anger deflated. She looked at the ground, scuffing it with the toe of her shoe. She muttered something under her breath.</p><p>“What was that?”</p><p>“Drew said not to. That it would make me bulky and ugly.” She spat the last part, glaring towards the Aphrodite cabin.</p><p>“Well, first of all, that’s not true. Drew’s an idiot,” Nico said. “There’s a reason Piper’s the head councillor.”</p><p>Lara nodded. “Piper’s nice. She listens to me at dinner.”</p><p>“Piper’s also really smart. And she’s strong too.” Nico smiled. “And I bet she’d agree with me when I say you should try the sword.”</p><p>Lara seemed unsure, but she let Nico take the knife from her and replace it with the sword. She already looked more comfortable with it in her hands.</p><p>Nico couldn’t use his dominant hand, but he could at least show her some basic moves with his other side. He trained himself to be somewhat ambidextrous, but he still had his preferred sword-hand. He showed her a few basic slashes and stabs.</p><p>Five minutes in, she was grinning, even though her movements were getting sloppier as she was getting tired. </p><p>“Practice those for now,” Nico said. “When my arm is better, I’ll show you more complex moves.”</p><p>Lara’s eyes were bright. “Promise?”</p><p>“I promise.”</p><p>Nico let her be, curious to see how Clarisse handled the Hermes and Apollo kids. Considering only the Hermes kid was left, she probably sent Will’s brother to the infirmary. Clarisse herself was staring at Nico with a cocked eyebrow and a small smirk.</p><p>Nico grimaced.</p><p>“I knew you had it in you.”</p><p>Over the next couple hours, a dozen or so kids came and went. Clarisse occasionally went to offer some guidance. Nico did so as well, more and more often as the day went on. He found himself surprisingly comfortable in the role of instructor. When they weren’t helping the kids one-on-one, him and Clarisse discussed weapons and different fighting styles.</p><p>It was nearing lunch when everyone started clearing out. There was only one straggler when Clarisse glanced behind Nico and sneered. “Prissy.”</p><p>“Clarisse.” Percy Jackson was standing there with a hand on his hip. “Good morning to you too.” He had a backpack over his shoulder, his clothes ruffled. He must have just arrived back at camp.</p><p>Nico nodded in greeting.</p><p>Percy came to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with him. “Clarisse roped you into teaching?”</p><p>Clarisse snorted. “You say that like it wasn’t your idea.” She rolled her eyes as she walked away to start putting away the leftover equipment.</p><p>“You –“ Nico glared, but it only made Percy laugh.</p><p>“How you liking it?” Percy asked.</p><p>Nico’s shoulders sagged. “It’s alright.” He stuck his hands in his pockets. “It’s good to have something to do here since I’m sticking around.”</p><p>Percy grinned. “Glad to hear. That you like it, <em>and </em>that you’re sticking around.”</p><p>“I said it was <em>alright</em>.”</p><p>Percy waved a hand dismissively. “Sure, sure.”</p><p>Sometimes arguing with Percy just wasn’t worth it. “How was your visit with your mom?”</p><p>Percy’s smiled softened. “It was good. I missed her a lot. She missed me too.. We – we talked. A lot. About a lot of things.” Percy glanced away, his smile slowly dissipating. “I did my best to – to gloss over some things, but I think I only made her worry more. I hate doing that to her.”</p><p>Nico remembered how worried Hazel had been for him when he’d finally been rescued. How he tried to keep the worst of his experiences locked up, but she would look at him with haunted eyes like she knew anyway.</p><p>“Ah – sorry. I didn’t mean to unload on you like that – I don’t know where that came from.”</p><p>“No, it’s okay. Tartarus…” Nico said the name with a grimace. “It –“ It was filled with nightmares most couldn’t even imagine. Yet, Nico survived it. Percy and Annabeth survived it. And now they were back on earth. They were back to their old lives. But to Nico, it felt like he left something of himself behind there, and brought something back with him. Something dark and coiled, waiting to be let out.</p><p>“How are you doing?” Percy’s question caught him off guard.</p><p>Nico chewed on his lip. “Honestly, I – I don’t know.”</p><p>Percy nodded. “Okay. You know that if you need anything – anytime – you can bother me, right? Even if it’s the middle of the night.” Percy had nightmares too, then. He understood.</p><p>“I might take you up on that.”</p><p>“Good.” Percy threw his arms behind his head. “For now, how about we get some lunch? Jason made me promise to drag you over to his table. Big three party.”</p><p>Hopefully none of them would try to kill each other.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Nico awoke in the middle of the following night, covered in sweat. He stared up at the dark ceiling in his cabin, clenching and unclenching his fists around his blankets. Most often, the darkness felt like home to Nico. It was where he was safe. It was where he was most powerful. But fresh from the nightmares from Tartarus and the Bronze Jar, he felt suffocated by it.</p>
<p>He tossed off his blankets and strode outside, clad in his borrowed sweatpants and sweater he had yet to return to Will. They were far more comfortable than his other clothes, and warmer too. But his sweat made them cling to him like a second skin. Despite the warm temperature, when the wind blew, Nico shivered. Still, he stayed outside, needing the fresh air more than anything.</p>
<p>Across the field, Nico noticed a faint light coming from inside the Poseidon cabin. It wasn’t the only cabin to have light coming from within it – but it was faint and blue. And Nico never remembered seeing it before.</p>
<p>He remembered Percy’s invitation to come whenever he needed to. Before he even had time to think, he was heading to the cabin, keeping in the shadows to hide from the cleaning harpies. It took him only a couple minutes to reach the doorstep. He raised his hand to knock and froze.</p>
<p><em>What in the Hades was he doing</em>?</p>
<p>Before he could decide to turn back, the door was yanked open. Percy stood there with dark circles under his eyes and messed hair. He didn’t even look remotely surprised to see Nico. Instead, he just stepped aside so Nico could go in.</p>
<p>“Nico’s here,” Percy said.</p>
<p>A pile of blonde curls emerged from the blankets on Percy’s bed. Annabeth’s grey eyes were far to alert for someone who had just woken up. Like Percy, she had dark circles under them.</p>
<p>She must have noticed Nico’s confusion, because she smiled softly. “I sleep here. My cabinmates cover for me. Nowadays, they tend to sleep better when I’m not around.”</p>
<p>“Nico.” Percy drew his attention back to him. “You can take Tyson’s bed if you want. My bed isn’t big enough for all of us, but we can drag over Tyson’s if you want to be beside us.”</p>
<p>That… that actually sounded alright. “Isn’t that kind of weird?”</p>
<p>“Tartarus trumps weird.” Annabeth said. “Come on. Let’s drag it over.”</p>
<p>The three of them did it together. The mattresses sat almost flush. Annabeth laid back down on the edge of Percy’s bed. Percy collapsed between her and the wall. He wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face in her hair. Nico paused before he awkwardly climbed under the covers of Tyson’s bed.</p>
<p>It was surprisingly comfortable. Plus, the windows of Percy’s cabin were all open, allowing for fresh air to blow through. It smelled like the sea. There was the faint blue light Nico noticed earlier. It was a nightlight in the shape of a clam. It was dumb, and so inexplicably comforting.</p>
<p>Before long, Nico was drifting off, his mind pleasantly blank. He foolishly thought at that moment that his nightmares were finished for the night. Not an hour later, he was awake and gasping again. It was like he could feel the burn of Tartarus’ breath in his lungs. He sat up and clutched at his chest, fingernails digging into the skin under his sweater.</p>
<p>Annabeth sat up beside him, blonde hair tangled. Percy was still snoring next to her, having turned to face the wall at some point. She shifted closer to him almost touching, but not quite. She smiled kindly and opened her arms. Hesitantly, Nico leaned forward so she could wrap him up in them.</p>
<p>Tears unexpectedly sprung to his eyes as she rubbed a soothing circle on his back. He was taken back decades, to faint memories of when he would wake up from nightmares about the war. He would sneak into Bianca’s room and crawl into her bed. Then she would comfort him, much like Annabeth was.</p>
<p>He missed his sister. He wished she could have been the one to hold him and tell him everything would be alright.</p>
<p>He quieted his sobs with his fist against his mouth, but they shook his whole body. Annabeth didn’t say anything. She just held him. And that was enough. Nico rested his head on her shoulder, her shirt becoming damp with his tears.</p>
<p>Eventually, exhaustion took him. He dimly felt Annabeth lay him down and cover him with a blanket. There were quiet voices, so Percy must have woken up at some point. A hand ran through Nico’s hair, but he was far too tired to complain, especially when it felt kind of nice.</p>
<p>The next thing he knew, it was morning. Sunlight was hitting him in the face from one of Percy’s open windows. And he smelled… pancakes? He cracked an eye open to see Percy setting a plate on his table. He was already dressed for the day, and Annabeth was nowhere in sight. Percy perked up when he saw Nico’s eyes open.</p>
<p>“Hey. You missed breakfast, so I brought some back for you.” Percy picked up a stolen bottle of syrup and waved it temptingly.</p>
<p>Hardly anything got Nico out of bed quicker than the promise of sugar. He extracted himself from the nest of blankets he made around himself, stumbled to Percy’s table, and slouched in the seat across from him. Percy slid the plate of pancakes his way and handed him the syrup.</p>
<p>Nico absolutely doused them in it.</p>
<p>Nico hadn’t had a lot of breakfast at camp before, but gods, it was good. “I think I’ll stay here just for the food,” Nico muttered.</p>
<p>Once Nico finished his food, he came to the unfortunate discovery that he was feeling gross. All the sweat soaked into his clothes had dried, and his skin felt particularly greasy. He picked at the sweater with a wrinkled nose.</p>
<p>“Isn’t that Will’s?” Percy asked.</p>
<p>Nico chose to ignore the teasing tone in his voice. “He lent it to me because all my clothes are hard to get into with a crap shoulder.” He didn’t explain why he had yet to return it. “The few clothes that I have, anyway.” Will forbid him from shadow-travelling, so it wasn’t like he could go and just grab more.</p>
<p>Percy hummed, tapping the table thoughtfully. “I should have some old clothes that fit you. I’ll see what I can scrounge up. For now, why don’t I get you a towel so you can take a shower?”</p>
<p>“I wouldn’t want to impose.” Anymore than he already did.</p>
<p>Percy rolled his eyes. “Please. If it wasn’t for people’s hand-me-downs, I would have been naked for like – half my time here. Now go shower.” Percy dug in a dresser and tossed a light blue towel at him.</p>
<p>Nico went to the door Percy pointed to. It was a small addition to the back of the cabin. Everyone got bathrooms added to their cabins when the new cabins for the other gods were being constructed. It was more convenient for everyone, especially considering the old public bathrooms and showers weren’t big enough to handle the sudden influx of campers.</p>
<p>Percy’s bathroom was blue, because of course it was. He had a tacky shower curtain covered in tropical fish. It was surprisingly clean – almost spotless – but Nico guessed cleaning a bathroom was a pretty easy job for the son of Poseidon.</p>
<p>Apparently, having the best water pressure in camp was another perk.</p>
<p>Percy left some clothes on the sink half-way through Nico’s shower. By the in he was done, he felt a million times better. His bandages got a little damp since he didn’t have anything to wrap them with, but he had to go to the infirmary to get his wound looked at and the bandages changed anyway. He changed into the clothes Percy left him – sweatpants and a t-shirt. They must have been a couple years old, considering they actually fit him.</p>
<p>Nico gathered up Will’s borrowed clothes and Percy’s towel, and exited the bathroom. Percy grabbed both from him before he could even blink, then tossed them into a laundry bin.</p>
<p>“What –“</p>
<p>“I’m doing laundry. Go get your other dirty clothes from your cabin.”</p>
<p>Nico sputtered. “<em>Why</em>?”</p>
<p>Percy raised his eyebrows. “Are you telling me that you have no dirty clothes? That you totally haven’t neglected doing laundry? Are you telling me you even know <em>how</em> to do laundry?”</p>
<p>Nico gaped. “What are you, my mom?”</p>
<p>“Yes. Congratulations, by the way. I am a fantastic mom.” Percy jabbed a finger at him. “Now go get it.”</p>
<p>Apparently, this was another argument Percy just wasn’t going to let him win. Nico trudged back to his cabin, Percy following close behind with his laundry basket. And as if his morning couldn’t get any more humiliating, Will was standing at the doorstep of the Hades cabin with his arms crossed.</p>
<p>Nico stopped dead in his tracks.</p>
<p>Behind him, Percy snorted. “Looks like you’re in trouble.”</p>
<p>Nico couldn’t help but feel apprehensive, given that they almost kissed the last time they saw each other. But Will blew past any awkwardness as he fixed Nico with a steely look. “Your bandages are wet.”</p>
<p>Nico grimaced. “I was just about to go to the infirmary to get them changed, so I didn’t think it mattered…”</p>
<p>“You didn’t think it mattered?” Will’s eyebrows rose and he scoffed. “Well, at least I know you were actually planning to come.”</p>
<p>“Why would you think I wouldn’t?” Nico snapped his mouth shut as soon as he asked the question. They both knew why. There was an uncomfortable silence as Nico glared at the ground.</p>
<p>It was broken by Percy. “Right, well before that, Nico needs to get his laundry. Could you hang tight for a moment, Will?”</p>
<p>They stepped into Nico’s cabin. Nico relaxed, no longer feeling Will’s stare on him.</p>
<p>Percy glanced around with a frown. “Damn, this place is – uh.”</p>
<p>“Ugly? Dark? Depressing?” Nico grabbed the laundry that was scattered around the room.</p>
<p>“Maybe a little?”</p>
<p>Nico put his laundry in the basket. “I was thinking of remodeling.”</p>
<p>“Probably a good idea.” Percy nodded. “I’ll mention it to Annabeth. Maybe you two could come up with a plan together.” Percy was frowning at the coffin beds.</p>
<p>“I’d like that.” He couldn’t wait to fix his cabin up – make it more liveable. “Thanks, Percy.”</p>
<p>“Any time.” Percy reached out and ruffled his hair, making Nico duck his head. “Now. Tell me. Do I need to kick Will Solace’s ass? I mean – it’d be kind of an unfair fight. But I’d totally do it.”</p>
<p>Nico frowned. “Why would you..?”</p>
<p>“Something happened between you two, right?” Percy’s expression was surprisingly serious. “Should I be worried?”</p>
<p>“No,” Nico sighed. “It’s – It’s my fault, actually. Besides, I can take care of myself.”</p>
<p>“Okay. Well, if you change your mind, or if you need anything, let me know.” Percy hefted the laundry basket up. “I’ll leave your stuff folded on your bed when it’s done. And come to my table at lunch. We can talk about the remodeling with Annabeth then.”</p>
<p>They went back outside. With Percy going, Nico was left alone with Will, who watched Percy go with a critical stare. He turned to Nico and gave him a once-over. He didn’t seem as angry as before. Rather, he was concerned.</p>
<p>“Are you okay?”</p>
<p>“Why wouldn’t I be?”</p>
<p>Will frowned at him. “Your eyes are red.”</p>
<p>Nico scowled. They felt dry and puffy all morning, but he’d hoped they hadn’t looked as bad as they felt. “What about it?”</p>
<p>Will sighed. “I’m just worried.”</p>
<p>“Why?”</p>
<p>Will groaned, rubbing a hand over his face. “Gods, you’re so…” He shook his head. “Of course I’m worried about you. Why wouldn’t I be? So please, tell me how you’re doing.” Will stepped forward and offered his hand to Nico.</p>
<p>Hesitantly, Nico took it. Will ran his thumb over the back of his knuckles softly.</p>
<p>“I’m – I’m okay now. I had a nightmare last night, that’s all.” Will saw him after he had one in the infirmary, so Nico hoped he would understand. “I didn’t want to be alone, so I snuck over to Percy’s.”</p>
<p>“So that’s why you didn’t answer your door this morning…” Will said softly. “I thought you were avoiding me.”</p>
<p>Nico didn’t want to tell him that he kind of <em>was</em>. Will looked so relieved and happy, it would have broken Nico’s heart to hurt him then. “I…”</p>
<p>Will tightened his hold on Nico’s hand. “I also wanted to apologize.”</p>
<p>Nico’s eyes widened in surprise.</p>
<p>“I didn’t mean to scare you away the other day. I suppose I’ve been coming on a little too hard. Too fast.” Will’s cheeks were tinted the faintest shade of red. “But, I really like you Nico, if I haven’t made that clear enough already.”</p>
<p>“You – you like me?” Nico’s heart pounded in his ears. “You don’t even <em>know</em> me.”</p>
<p>“I’d like to get to know you. If you’d let me.” Will kept tracing his thumb across his knuckles.</p>
<p>Nico’s eyes watered. He wiped at them in frustration. “Can I… can I think about it?” Will wanted to get to know him? Nico didn’t really get it. Part of him just wanted to say no, and save the both of them the trouble and the pain. But the other part of him was painfully longing to say yes. He wanted to say yes so, so badly. He wanted to get to know Will too.</p>
<p>“Of course,” Will said. “But for now, can I take you to the infirmary?”</p>
<p>Nico nodded. He pulled his hand out of Will’s before they starting walking, but he didn’t look upset about it.</p>
<p>~ ~ ~</p>
<p>By the time lunch rolled around, Nico’s arm was freshly bandaged. The wound was looking a lot better already, but Will held firm on the timeline he already gave Nico. He had over a week until he was allowed to do anything too strenuous with it. Nico ate some more ambrosia, since they had yet to get any unicorn draught in.</p>
<p>Percy was waiting at his table with Annabeth. Annabeth had the basis for a blueprint already drawn up and set in front of her. She picked at her meal, making notes on the sheet. Nico sat beside them once he got himself his meal.</p>
<p>“Percy was telling me you probably wanted to open things up a bit more.” Annabeth slid closer to him and showed him what she was working on.</p>
<p>“Windows <em>would</em> be nice,” Nico said with a small smile. “I could always cover them with blackout curtains if I needed to shadow-travel.”</p>
<p>“I was thinking windows here, here and here.” Annabeth pointed to her blueprint. She rambled on about the best way to get natural light into the building. Nico trusted her with all the technical stuff. He just wanted to feel less suffocated when he was living there.</p>
<p>“I’d like some lamps too. The green fire is a nice touch, but sometimes it just isn’t bright enough. Especially if I want to read or study.” Or if he had a nightmare and couldn’t bear the dark.</p>
<p>“We should get you some furniture too. Percy said you had next to nothing. Not even a table.” Annabeth shook her head. “We need to get you one. Both you and Hazel need dressers, and a couple bookshelves wouldn’t hurt. And then there’s the whole bed situation.”</p>
<p>Nico snorted. “Yes. Definitely a situation.”</p>
<p>“What are you thinking for them?”</p>
<p>Nico bit his lip. “Something basic, but elegant. Dark wood, like walnut maybe?”</p>
<p>Annabeth nodded. “I think that would look nice. We can match the rest of the furniture to them. I’m assuming you want to keep the colour scheme dark?”</p>
<p>“Yeah. I just want to be able to light up the place if I have to. And I’d also prefer not to sleep in a coffin.”</p>
<p>Annabeth sketched a quick layout. “You’d be able to move furniture around as much as you’d like, but here’s what I’d recommend.” The beds were on one side of the cabin with their respective dressers. On the other side was a small lounge area with the bookcases, as well as a place for a table and some chairs. “You could get a rug here, and maybe a couch, though we might have to sneak that one past Chiron.”</p>
<p>“I’ll shadow-travel it in once I’m allowed to use my powers again.” Nico was really beginning to like it. He could imagine sitting about in his cabin when he was bored with a comic or game. He’d also definitely get a coffee maker to put on the table, and maybe a mini-fridge.</p>
<p>Annabeth nodded. “I’ve already approved the construction with Chiron.”</p>
<p>“And you can bunk with me – well, us, while everything’s being completed,” Percy added.</p>
<p>Nico was so incredibly grateful. His eyes watered for the second time that day. He ducked his head and quickly wiped the tears away with the back of his hand. Annabeth’s hand on his shoulder was a comforting touch.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hello! Next week's chapter will be a couple days late. It will be posted on Monday/Tuesday. This is due to me moving. I'll get the chapter out as soon as my wifi is set up at the new place.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Nico stood in front of the fountain in Percy’s cabin, twirling a drachma between his fingers. Percy was out training with Clarisse, so he had a couple hours of privacy to call who he wanted to. Nico tossed the drachma into the mist, watching it disappear.</p><p>“Oh Iris, goddess of the Rainbow, please accept my offering. Show me Reyna at Camp Jupiter.”</p><p>The mist shimmered, then revealed Reyna in her office bent over some reports. She had a half-empty cup of coffee next to her, and she was chewing on her pen in frustration. Argentum and Aurum were both behind her, looking to be napping.</p><p>She glanced up, noticing his presence. Her eyes widened in surprise, then she grinned. “Nico. How are you?” She appraised him with sharp eyes. “Better?”</p><p>“No longer fading, I believe.” Nico waggled his fingers at her. “The medics here are forcing me to rest.”</p><p>Reyna’s lips twitched. “Are they now?”</p><p>“Yeah. I have no choice in the matter, it seems.”</p><p>“Good. I’m glad to hear it.”</p><p>Nico frowned at her.</p><p>Reyna cocked an eyebrow. “You and I both know you’d be training right now if you could.”</p><p>“I have one good arm,” Nico defended. “It’s always good to practice with the non-dominant side.”</p><p>“Rest and recovery are an important factor in getting stronger. If you overextend yourself –“</p><p>“I’ll only make it worse,” Nico said. “Believe me, I’ve heard it all.”</p><p>Reyna’s expression softened. “Then I’m glad you have some good people looking after you.”</p><p>Nico flushed slightly. “And – how are things going at Camp Jupiter?”</p><p>“Despite the… mutiny at Camp Half-Blood, the cohorts all fell in line, with only a couple individual exceptions. They have all been accordingly dealt with. Now I’m left with all the paperwork to fill out for our records.” Reyna wrinkled her nose. “But aside from that, things are returning to normal here. Frank is doing a good job leading the troops while I’m locked in the office here. He’s making a great Praetor.”</p><p>“And Hazel?” Nico was eager to know about how his sister was doing.</p><p>“She’s fitting in well. She makes a good Centurion, and may one day make a good Praetor, though she would need more experience leading before taking on such a role. But on a more personal note, her and Frank seem happy.” Reyna smiled. “And how about you, Nico? Are you happy where you are?”</p><p>Nico frowned. That was sort of a loaded question. “I think… that I could be. And that’s enough for now.”</p><p>Reyna nodded. “I’m glad. You deserve happiness, Nico.”</p><p>Nico wished she was there with him, only so he could hug her again. Gods, he was turning into such a sap. “I’ll do my best,” he promised. “And when I’m healed in a couple weeks, I’ll come visit.”</p><p>“I’ll hold you to that.”</p><p>Nico smiled, but it quickly faded. “Reyna. There’s one more thing I wanted to ask before I go.” Nico bit his lip as Reyna prompted him with a nod. “I’m – I want to tell Hazel. That I’m gay. Do you think…?”</p><p>“I cannot say for sure,” Reyna said. “But I have known Hazel for almost as long as you have. I think she will always love you, Nico.”</p><p>Nico nodded, his stomach twisting with nerves. Reyna couldn’t say for sure, but he didn’t expect her to.</p><p>She set her papers aside and capped her pen. “If you would like, you could wait twenty minutes to call her. That way I can make sure she’s somewhere private to talk.”</p><p>“Yes.” Relief pooled in his stomach. At least they wouldn’t have an audience, or anyone listening in on the call. “That would be great. Thank you.”</p><p>They said their goodbyes and the message ended. Nico held his second drachma in his hands pensively. He wanted to tell Hazel. He wanted to talk with her about it. He wanted her to accept him. He paced around Percy’s cabin, alternating between fiddling with the rings on his fingers, turning the drachma over in his hands, and running his fingers over the hilt of his sword. Twenty full minutes of worrying later, Nico tossed the coin into the mist and asked to see Hazel.</p><p>She was sitting on a log in the forest. Sunlight filtered through the trees, though she was still partially obscured in the shadows. She had Spatha at her side and dirt streaked across her face. Nico guessed she had just been partaking in some activity at camp.</p><p>“Nico,” she said warmly. “Reyna said you wanted to talk?” There was some apprehension in her voice.</p><p>“Yeah, I just finished checking in with her. She said camp was getting back to normal. How are you doing?” Nico went for small talk first. He didn’t want to just blurt it out.</p><p>Hazel relaxed. “It’s good. I’m getting used to running the fifth cohort. Some of the new recruits can be handfuls, but Frank says I do a good job keeping them in line. I hope I do.”</p><p>“You’re enjoying it then?”</p><p>She grinned. “I like being in charge.” She tilted her head, dark curls spilling over her shoulder. “And how is your camp treating you?”</p><p>“I’ve been asked to teach in the combat arena. I… kind of like it. I’m really considering it.” Nico did like teaching, and he liked how some of the students looked up to him. They listened to what he had to say and they followed instructions pretty well if Nico could keep their attention.</p><p>“Teaching,” Hazel murmured. “It seems like something that would suit you.”</p><p>“You think?” Nico couldn’t help but smile. He thought so as well.</p><p>“Definitely.” Hazel scuffed at the ground with her heel. “You should go for it.”</p><p>“Yeah, I think I will.”</p><p>As the conversation lulled into silence, Hazel regarding Nico closely. The more she did, the more he squirmed, which only made her stare at him more.</p><p>“There’s something bothering you,” she said. “What’s going on?”</p><p>Nico clenched his fists. Unclenched them. Licked his lips. “It’s uh – someone asked me out.”</p><p>Hazel’s expression brightened. “Someone asked you out? Who? Is she cute? Do I know her?”</p><p>Nico’s heart pounded in his chest and his stomach turned uneasily. What would he do if Hazel didn’t accept him? If she hated him? If she thought he was disgusting? She was his sister. His family. It would tear him apart more, if that was even possible.</p><p>“Nico?” Hazel’s voice was quiet and soft.</p><p>Nico stared down at his hands and twirled his rings, not daring to look up. He was too afraid to see her expression. It felt like there was a fist tightening around his heart. “His – his name’s Will. He says he likes me, and I think I really like him too.”</p><p>“Oh…” Hazel was quiet for a long moment. Nico assumed the worst, until she spoke again. “Will. Tall, cute, blonde Will?”</p><p>Nico glanced up tentatively. Hazel was smiling at him, open and honest. The fist around his heart loosened. He nodded. “He’s a medic. The son of Apollo.”</p><p>“Oh, so he’s <em>hot</em> then.” She laughed, covering her mouth with her hand. “Right, my bad.”</p><p>Nico was embarrassed to find himself blushing. Never in a million years did he think Hazel’s first reaction would be to tease him about his crush.</p><p>“He seems pretty nice,” Hazel continued. “He healed a few cuts I got during the war.”</p><p>“He tended to a lot of the injuries. He’s the head medic. And the Apollo cabin counsellor.”</p><p>“Oh? Tell me more.”</p><p>Nico’s face was feeling really hot. “He’s kind of annoying – if I’m being honest. He’s always so concerned about me, but it’s kind of nice too. He’s nice. Even when he’s teasing me, and –“ Nico groaned. “Oh gods, why am I saying all this?”</p><p>“Because you like him, and you’re totally going to go out with him?” Hazel was so excited, she looked like she was two seconds from clapping her hands together.</p><p>“I haven’t really said <em>yes</em> yet.”</p><p>Hazel frowned at him, her eyes narrowing. “Why not?”</p><p>“I mean – why does he like me? He doesn’t know me, and once he does, he probably won’t like me, so –“</p><p>“Idiot.”</p><p>Nico sputtered. “Wha –“</p><p>“You’re an idiot,” Hazel said. “Gods, my brother is an idiot.”</p><p>“<em>Hey</em>.”</p><p>She sighed softly, pursing her lips. “You need to give yourself a chance, Nico. Besides, there’s plenty of people that know you, and still love you. I’m one of them. Reyna’s another.”</p><p>Nico frowned. “But... he hasn’t seen me at my worst. What if it’s too much for him?”</p><p>“And I doubt you’ve seen him at <em>his </em>worst, either. Have you?”</p><p>Nico blinked slowly. If he was being honest, he hadn’t even considered Will had a worst side.</p><p>“You don’t know him all that well either. That’s the point of dating. You get to know each other. You get to know if you could grow to love each other.” Hazel shook her head. “You said you liked him, right?”</p><p>“…right.”</p><p>“Then go for it.”</p><p>Nico hesitated. “You really think so?”</p><p>She smiled softly. “Yes, Nico. I really think so.”</p><p>Nico would have responded – thanked her for talking to him and thanked her for accepting him. Except he heard a battle horn blow.</p><p>The camp was under attack.</p><p>“That’s – not good.” Nico grabbed his sword from its holster. “I have to go. We’ll talk later.” He didn’t wait for a goodbye as he went racing out of the cabin. A few other campers were running out of their cabins as well, weapons in hand.</p><p>“What is it <em>this</em> time,” someone groaned.</p><p>Nico noticed smoke rising from where Thalia’s tree was. He sprinted in that direction. He was halfway there when he heard steps behind him. He looked over his shoulder to see Percy, who had his sword drawn as well.</p><p>By the time they reached the tree, there were already a dozen or so demigods in the fight against what seemed to be a countless legion of monsters.</p><p>Percy swore. “Must be stragglers from the war. Let’s go.”</p><p>They dove into the fight. Percy was a force to be reckoned with. He ducked and spun out of the way of incoming attacks, effortlessly slicing monster after monster. He was practically surrounded by their dusty remains. Nico kept stride beside him, taking out the ones Percy missed. The wound on his arm pulled slightly with every movement, but didn’t tear. Feeling more confident, he put more force into his strikes.</p><p>Nico didn’t know where Percy got the water from, but it was slowly starting to gather around him, swirling like a tornado and battering any monster that got too close. It threw most of the monsters off balance, or diverted their attacks, making it easier for Percy to cut them down. Nico felt a little jealous, doing his best not to use his own Underworld powers.</p><p>Nico finished off a few Dracaena, then was abruptly tackled by something big and hairy. He just barely blocked up with his sword to keep a massive set of jaws from closing around his throat. A pair of claws punctured his skin, but he hardly felt the pain. With one hand on his sword handle, and the other pressed against the blade, he pushed the sword up. He couldn’t help but grin as the blade cut into both sides of the werewolf’s jaw. His own blood dripped down over his face as his sword cut into his hand.</p><p>He managed to force it up enough to bring up a leg and kick it away, feeling ribs give way under his heel. Before the werewolf could recover, Nico was on it, stabbing his Stygian sword deep into its chest. It exploded into dust.</p><p>He jumped into the next battle, feeling ferocious and powerful. He didn’t even need his godly powers to cut these monsters down. It was almost too easy. Actually, he was sort of having fun. It was dark. It was twisted. But, it was true.</p><p>Nico met Percy’s eyes across the battlefield and saw the same darkness in them.</p><p>An Empousai launched itself at Nico, and he raised his sword to meet it. But before it could even get close, a bolt of lightning streaked down and fried it.</p><p>Nico glared up at the sky. “Watch where you’re aiming, Jason!” His legs almost buckled from the electrical current, and they were feeling a little numb.</p><p>Another monster attacked him, but Jason fell from the sky, landing with his feet on its back and his spear in its chest. Another one lunged for Jason while his back was turned, but Nico intercepted it.</p><p>He was grinning again. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jason frown at him, but he didn’t care. He launched himself at another monster. Jason had no choice but to continue fighting as well. They were gradually forced further apart. When Nico spotted him again, there was another Empousai sneaking up on him. Nico shouted a warning, but Jason didn’t hear, too focused on the fight in front of him.</p><p>The Empousai lunged.</p><p>A skeletal hand erupted from the earth and snatched its ankle. It fell with a screech. Jason turned fluidly and ended its life.</p><p>Nico felt his vision dim around the edges, but he forced himself to focus. He couldn’t pass out in the middle of a battle. He tightened his hold on his sword and threw himself back into the fight.</p><p>It didn’t last long after that. One by one, they cut down the monsters. And with the Doors of Death closed, they stayed dead. Nico didn’t know who dispatched the last one, but eventually they were all standing in a field covered in rapidly dissolving dust, and little splashes of blood here and there from wounded demigods.</p><p>Percy was relatively uninjured, only with a couple slashes across his chest and one on his forehead. Jason, considering he joined the fight late, was completely uninjured. And Nico, of course, looked like he came from a murder scene. A few yards away, Clarisse and Annabeth were talking quickly, mobilizing demigods to take the injured to the medics, who were just arriving at the scene with their supplies.</p><p>Nico, still high from the adrenaline of the battle, was smiling. His smile immediately fell when Will caught his eyes from the edge of the battlefield. He <em>did not</em> look impressed. He pointed at Nico, then pointed to the ground at his feet.</p><p>Nico cursed to himself as he headed over.</p><p>“<em>Why</em> are you covered in blood?” Will asked.</p><p>Nico shrugged, unable to help the small smile that was still on his face. “I think werewolves hate me?”</p><p>Will groaned. “Okay, please tell me you’re not bitten.”</p><p>“Of course not.”</p><p>“And you don’t have a head wound?”</p><p>“No?”</p><p>Will scoffed. Apparently not believing him, he ran his hands through Nico’s hair to check anyway. He examined Nico’s face closely, as well as his neck, before moving on to the rest of his body. The more he ran his hands over Nico, the more he frowned.</p><p>“Don’t you have more important patients?” Nico didn’t think he was really all that injured.</p><p>“Nobody’s critical, thankfully. Most people backed out of the fight when you and Percy arrived,” Will said. “Now, no complaining. Hold still and answer my questions.” He took Nico’s left hand, gingerly avoiding the deep gash. “What caused this?”</p><p>“Oh,” Nico said, feeling a little sheepish. “That was my sword.”</p><p>Will shook his head and moved on. He pointed to a nasty slash on Nico’s chest. “This?”</p><p>“Don’t know.”</p><p>“And this?” Will lifted Nico’s shirt to reveal the puncture wounds, which were oozing blood and starting to discolour.</p><p>“Werewolf claws.” They were starting to ache a little, but not nearly as bad as the gashes he got from Lycaon. “I told you they hate me.”</p><p>Will took Nico’s uninjured hand. “And of course, you were an idiot and used your Underworld powers. Why did you think that was a good idea?”</p><p>“I had to. Jason would have gotten hurt if I didn’t,” Nico defended. He met Will’s glare with one of his own. But he didn’t know how convincing it was. The adrenaline high he had a quickly fading, leaving Nico feeling like the life was being sucked out of him. He tried to blink away the dark spots starting to obscure his vision.</p><p>“Fine.” Will conceded. He wrapped an arm around Nico. “Let’s get you to a stretcher before you pass out.”</p><p>Nico wanted to argue that he wasn’t going to, but his legs were already buckling. The next time he was aware of anything, Will had an arm around Nico’s back and another under his knees. He was being carried somewhere.</p><p>Nico tried to ask what was going on, but the question was more of a groan than anything else. His head hurt and he felt incredibly nauseous.</p><p>“Just hold tight, Sunshine. We don’t have enough stretchers for everyone, so I’m carrying you to the infirmary.”</p><p>The next hour or so was a blur. Nico was laid in a bed and his wounds were attended to by Will. He didn’t say much as he worked, but he occasionally checked on Nico to make sure he was doing okay. When his wounds were bandaged, he got a warm, wet washcloth and started cleaning the blood off Nico’s face. Nico couldn’t help but feel nervous under his intense gaze.</p><p>Nico must have looked terrifying, covered in blood and grinning manically post-battle, but Will wasn’t treating him any less gently than before. If anything, he seemed more exasperated than afraid.</p><p>“Do you…” Nico wet his dry lips. “Do you still like me?”</p><p>Will smiled and cupped Nico cheek. “You’re an idiot. But, yes. I do.”</p><p>Nico tilted his face into Will’s palm. “I like you,” Nico admitted. “I’d like to – to get to know you.”</p><p>Will grinned, brighter than the sun. He leaned down and Nico closed his eyes in anticipation. He felt a jolt of annoyance when Will kissed his forehead, not his lips. Nico’s eyes snapped open.</p><p>Will ruffled his hair. “We’ll kiss when you're more than half-conscious, Nico. Go to sleep.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>My internet is alive, and so am I. Hope you all enjoyed! Updates are now back to Sundays!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Nico wondered if waking up in the infirmary was becoming a habit. His wounds were all bandaged, and his skin was mostly clean of blood, though a few specks remained here and there. He was wearing a clean pair of clothes, so he must have been changed out of his bloodied ones while he slept.</p>
<p>Will was snoring in a chair beside Nico’s bed, his blonde hair mussed. He was leaning against the armrest, head down against his arm. A single nudge and he’d topple out of his chair. Nico wondered how he seemed to be able to fall asleep anywhere, in any position.</p>
<p>Nico sat up slowly, careful not to aggravate his injuries. Surprisingly, he didn’t feel too bad. The only really painful wound was the gash on his hand, which was easy to isolate and not move. He reached over with his other hand and ran it through Will’s golden hair.</p>
<p>Will roused, almost making Nico pull back. But he supposed he didn’t have to anymore. He kept running his hand through Will’s hair. Will slowly blinked open his eyes. When he sat up, Nico let his hand drop. Will groaned, running a hand over his face.</p>
<p>“Morning.” Will stood from his chair, then sat beside Nico on his bed. He took Nico’s hand in his, holding it for a long moment as he continued to blink the sleep from his eyes. “Not as bad as I thought,” he mused.</p>
<p>“What’s not?”</p>
<p>Will fixed him with an unimpressed look. “You. Your wounds from combat aren’t too bad. The worst being your hand, but it wasn’t caused by a monster, so it should heal quicker. But I was mostly worried about you using your Underworld powers. Especially considering you passed out.”</p>
<p>“I feel okay,” Nico said. He definitely wasn’t fading, though he was far too tired to have only summoned a <em>hand</em> from the ground. He felt disappointed and frustrated.</p>
<p>“Still, I’m extending your recovering time by another week.”</p>
<p>Nico gaped at him. “<em>What? Why?</em>”</p>
<p>Will raised his eyebrows. “Because you set your progress back. Now you need extra time to rest. Although, I won’t need you in the infirmary this time.” Will smirked. “So long as you let me do house visits.”</p>
<p>“I’ll only be in my cabin for the next couple days. Then renovations start.” After that Nico would be in Percy’s cabin for a couple weeks. “But I can always visit you too, right?”</p>
<p>Will grinned. “Deal.” Will was still holding his hand. He started play with his fingers. “You remember what you said yesterday?”</p>
<p>Nico frowned at him. “I remember I said something embarrassing and you didn’t kiss me anyway.” He was still kind of annoyed by that.</p>
<p>Will snorted. “You were hardly conscious.”</p>
<p>“Well I am now.” The words slipped out before Nico could stop them. He refused to blush, instead raising an eyebrow in challenge.</p>
<p>Will grinned. He cupped Nico’s cheeks, thumbs tracing his cheekbones. It was unbelievable how a simple touch like that took Nico’s breath away. Will leaned in, and once again, Nico’s eyes fluttered shut in anticipation.</p>
<p>Will kissed the tip of his nose and pulled back.</p>
<p>Nico clenched his jaw. “You asshole. I’m going to feed you to Mrs. O’Leary.”</p>
<p>“Sorry,” Will said, not sounding sorry at all. “I want our first kiss to be special.” He went back to playing with Nico’s hand. “Let me take you on a date – or as close as we can manage while at camp.”</p>
<p>“A date?”</p>
<p>Will hummed. “Something simple. But just the two of us, where we won’t be interrupted.”</p>
<p>“When?” Nico liked how it sounded. He wanted to spend more time with Will alone.</p>
<p>“Tomorrow night? I can get Kayla to cover for me here. Plus, you need more time to rest.” Will ran a hand through Nico’s hair, which was actually kind of gross. Nico could feel the way the dried blood made it clump together.</p>
<p>“Tomorrow night,” Nico agreed pushing to his feet.</p>
<p>Will hovered over him like he was afraid Nico was going to collapse. Nico waved off his concern.</p>
<p>“I’m going to shower, and then go get – wait, what time is it?”</p>
<p>“Just before noon.”</p>
<p>“Then I’m going to get lunch. Do you want me to bring you anything?”</p>
<p>“No, no. It’s okay.” Will grabbed Nico’s sword and handed it to him. “I want you to go home and get more rest.”</p>
<p>“Okay.” More rest sounded good. But food came first. “Tomorrow?”</p>
<p>“Tomorrow,” Will agreed.  </p>
<p>Nico couldn’t help but smile. He quickly leaned up and kissed Will’s jaw and hurried away. Will’s squawk of surprise made him snicker. Considering how much Will was teasing him, it was only fair he got a taste of his own medicine.</p>
<p>~ ~ ~</p>
<p>It was after dinner when Will met Nico at the Hades cabin. He was dressed in a pair of jean shorts and a nice, pale blue shirt that brought out his eyes. He had a backpack that looked full enough to burst. Nico felt awkward in his dark jeans, black shirt and borrowed sweater. He debated leaving his sword at his cabin, but it felt wrong not to have it at his side.</p>
<p>But with the way Will looked at him, he might as well of been in an expensive suit. He offered Nico his hand with a grin. Nico took it without hesitation.</p>
<p>“Follow me.” Will led Nico into a secluded part of the woods west of the Big House. They trekked down a well-worn path until they came to a small clearing.</p>
<p>The clearing was filled with flowers. Bright, vibrant, and every colour imaginable. There was no way they could have grown there naturally, but they were absolutely gorgeous.</p>
<p>“A daughter of Demeter owed me a favour.” Will pulled Nico down a clear path where the flowers weren’t growing, to a small patch of plain grass in the middle of the clearing. He set his bag down there and started digging through it.</p>
<p>Nico smiled to himself, crouching to observe a rose. “Does this daughter of Demeter know she grew these for you to woo the son of Hades with?” Nico couldn’t imagine Demeter would like it, but it wasn’t like she would find out anyway.</p>
<p>“Nope, but she wouldn’t care if she did.” Will laid down a blanket on the grass. “Do you like them?”</p>
<p>“They’re pretty.” Nico never would have guessed he’d be the type of guy to like flowers, but he really did. He admired them for a few moments before joining Will on the blanket. Will set a battery-powered lantern on the blanket, but didn’t turn it on yet. It was only sunset, so there was still plenty of light to see.</p>
<p>Then Will brought out the junk food. Nico immediately grabbed a bag of barbecue chips and tore them open. Greasy, salty and full of goodness. Will produced a couple cans of pop, offering Nico a weird looking one in a green can. He liked it. Will grabbed himself a chocolate bar, and shifted so he was sitting right in front of Nico.</p>
<p>“You said you wanted to get to know me, so I figured I should tell you about myself. And then, maybe you could tell me more about yourself?”</p>
<p>Nico nodded, mouth full of chips.</p>
<p>Will cracked a smile. “I’m from Austin, Texas. My mom’s a country singer. That’s how she caught Apollo’s attention. I spent most of my youth traveling with my mom. I never really had any formal education, but my mom home-schooled me when she had time, or hired tutors. I came to camp when I was ten.” Will scratched his head. “I’ve been here since, mostly working in the infirmary. I’m not really too good at anything else.”</p>
<p>Nico frowned at him. Will told him information, but it felt like he was just listing facts off about himself. Nico wracked his head for a question that would get Will to open up a little more. “When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?”</p>
<p>Will looked confused. It was kind of cute. “Uhm, I wanted to be a country singer like my mom.” Will shook his head. “For only about a month or so though. Then I wanted to be a fireman. At some point I decided I wanted to be a velociraptor, but I finally settled on doctor, and stuck with that since.”</p>
<p>“What a shame, being a velociraptor would have been so cool.”</p>
<p>“Right?” Will grinned. “And what about you? What did you want to be?”</p>
<p>Nico frowned. He couldn’t remember a lot from his childhood – just bits and pieces. But if he had to guess… “A magician, I guess. I was obsessed with anything remotely magical or supernatural.”</p>
<p>“I can see that. I remember you being obsessed with Mythomagic when you first came to camp. Talked everyone’s ear off about it. Including mine.”</p>
<p>Nico flushed. He didn’t remember that at all.</p>
<p>“And judging by the way you flew through those comics I lent you, you’re still a nerd lowkey, aren’t you?”</p>
<p>“Depends. Does saying yes get me more comics?”</p>
<p>Will laughed. “I’ll see what I can scrounge up, nerd.”</p>
<p>Nico rolled his eyes with a smile. “Whatever. You said you wanted to be a doctor. Are you planning on going to University for it?”</p>
<p>“I always wanted to – dreamed to. But, with New Rome’s University, it looks like it could become more of a reality, you know? I need to brush up on my studies, but I think I could do it. But it’ll take a while with their mandatory ten years of service to the legion. What about you? Any grand dreams?”</p>
<p>Nico shook his head. “I haven’t given it much thought yet.” But, there were endless possibilities. Enough of them that just thinking about it made his head spin. “I think… I’d like to do <em>something</em>.”</p>
<p>“We’ll see then.” Will handed him a box of pretzel sticks. “Tell me more about yourself.”</p>
<p>Nico tore into them like he did with the bag of chips. “I don’t really know what to say,” Nico carefully admitted. “I mean… I don’t remember a lot from my first ten years of life, with Father dunking me in the Lethe.”</p>
<p>Will choked on his food. “<em>What</em>?”</p>
<p>Nico shifted uncomfortably under his intense stare. “I mean – some of it has come back. Slowly. But most of it?” Nico waved his hands, almost sending his pretzels flying. “It’s blank. So, I… don’t really know what to tell you.” He honestly forgot Will didn’t know.</p>
<p>“Okay,” Will said softly.</p>
<p>Nico glanced towards him tentatively. His expression was warm, but not pitying. He was waiting for Nico to continue. Nico scrambled to find something to tell Will about himself. Something good. Something that didn’t hurt to badly.</p>
<p>“I like cooking. I remember being in the kitchen with my mom when I was young, helping Bianca roll out the noodles. It was hard work, and I don’t think I did a good job, but I really liked it. I think I’ve also helped with pastries?” Nico tapped his chin. Everything was so hazy. “But I’d like to try it again.” Nico wracked his head for other things. “I like animals, though they don’t always like me. Every time I go to the Underworld to visit my father, I play fetch with Cerberus. I also visit Mrs. O’Leary. I think I’m a dog person.”</p>
<p>Will laughed softly. “I can imagine you playing with them. Do they bowl you over?”</p>
<p>“Only sometimes.” Nico picked at his pretzels. “They listen to me pretty well, but can get overexcited.”</p>
<p>“My mom had a dog,” Will said when Nico didn’t continue. “I loved playing with her outside, even though she would sometimes knock me over. She was pretty amazing. Saved me from a couple monsters…” Will trailed off, looking sad.</p>
<p>Nico took his hand. Will smiled gratefully. He shifted closer to Nico, their legs brushing. Nico wrapped an arm around Will’s waist tentatively. When Will leaned against him, Nico rested his head against his shoulder.</p>
<p>“It’ll be starting soon,” Will said softly.</p>
<p>“What will?” Nico’s brow furrowed as Will grinned.</p>
<p>“Let’s lay back. We’ll be able to see the fireworks better.” Will pulled Nico down with him.</p>
<p>“Fireworks?”</p>
<p>“A Hephaestus kid owed me a favour.” Seriously, how many people owed Will favours? “All the cabin leaders are in on this by the way, so no one will know it was for just us. I’d bet everyone is gathering on their doorsteps.”</p>
<p>“Chiron won’t be happy with you.” But Nico didn’t care. </p>
<p>Nico adjusted so he was more comfortable. He released his hold on Will’s waist so his arm wouldn’t fall asleep, and turned on his side towards Will. Will was leaning with one hand behind his head, and his other arm under Nico’s. Nico placed his palm on Will’s chest, feeling his heartbeat.</p>
<p>Will smiled at him, then faced the sky. “Should be any time now…”</p>
<p>Nico watched with wide eyes as fireworks exploded above them. They were all colours. Red and purple. Pink and blue. Orange and yellow. Green and white. They were absolutely beautiful. They lit up the entire night sky. Nico watched them with awe.</p>
<p>Somewhere far away, Nico could hear excited voices. There were a few hoops and hollers. Laughter. When the fireworks ended, cheers erupted. Nico couldn’t help but smile. He looked to Will, who was smiling. He was only a few inches away.</p>
<p>Nico shifted closer. He pushed himself up on his elbow, his other hand still on Will’s chest. It gave him just enough balance to lean down and capture Will’s lips. It was quick, chaste, and tentative, but it made tingles go all the way down to Nico’s toes.</p>
<p>He was glad Will wanted to wait. Kissing under the moonlight after fireworks felt magical.</p>
<p>Will grabbed Nico around the waist and eased him onto his back. Then his lips were pressed against Nico’s again. They kissed until Nico felt dizzy and they had to stop to catch their breath.</p>
<p>~ ~ ~</p>
<p>Nico visited Will in the infirmary more and more. He would never get over how happy Will was to see him every time. His face lit up and when they could, they snuck a few kisses in private. They weren’t being nearly as sneaky as they thought they were, but no one decided to burst their bubble.</p>
<p>Nico continued to teach with Clarisse, who was slowly but surely putting more responsibility on him. He didn’t mind. Actually, he found more and more that he was liking it. He liked teaching the kids, and they were starting to respect him more than fear him. Although, Nico could be plenty scary when one of them was being dumb and putting themselves or someone else at unnecessary risk.</p>
<p>He looked forward to when he would be able to use his underworldly powers again and summon more specialized trainers for his students. Sure, Nico practiced a lot with a variety of weapons, but he only mastered his sword. For everything else, he was sort of a jack-of-all-trades.</p>
<p>The days went by quickly, and Nico was practically counting the days until he would be able to use his powers again. The inability to use them was starting to itch at him. He wanted to use them – if only to make sure he still had them. It sounded silly, but it was true. He had an irrational fear that he wouldn’t be able to use them again. Or, at least to the same extent he used to. He mentioned it to Will, who tried to reassure him. But Nico didn’t think he would feel better about it until he had the shadows under control again.</p>
<p>A couple days after Will and Nico’s date, Nico moved into Percy’s cabin. Annabeth was starting renovations on his cabin, and it wouldn’t be done for another week. Nico thought living with Percy would be awkward, but it felt surprisingly natural.</p>
<p>Percy let Nico have his space. When he got up early in the morning, he would close the curtains so Nico could get more sleep. And if Nico missed breakfast, he always made sure to bring him something. Percy was always a pretty laidback guy, and Nico appreciated it more than ever.</p>
<p>Annabeth came over often, and stayed the night most nights. Nico only dragged his bed over once, spending the whole night with Annabeth holding his hand, her fingers running through his hair until she drifted off back to sleep. The nightmares were bad. <em>Terrible.</em> But he felt better knowing there were at least two people who knew about the darkness gnawing at him from the inside. They knew, because they had it too. Nico could see it some nights, when either of them awoke with gasps or cries. Their expressions were haunted by demons that no one else but the three of them could see.</p>
<p>Sometimes Percy would disappear in the middle of the night, only coming back in the morning when he was covered in water and sweat. Sometimes Annabeth would clutch her knife, twirling it around in her palm as she lost herself in her head. Sometimes she would mouth things to herself, though Nico couldn’t understand what she was saying. Nico ached to do something as well, but all he could do was head out into the woods, or keep himself busy by training the kids or visiting Will.</p>
<p>Tartarus made him feel helpless. It made all three of them feel helpless.</p>
<p>No matter how much they trained, would it ever be enough?</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I was bored this morning, so I decided to drop this a day earlier. Hope you enjoyed! I will now be updating twice a week. Expect another chapter Tuesday/Wednesday.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After Will and Nico’s date, the first week was like a dream. Nico felt like he was floating, mind fuzzy with pleasant feelings. Every touch made his skin tingle. Every kiss made his heart pound. He felt loved.</p>
<p>But nothing good in Nico’s life ever lasted. He was lying in bed one night, daydreaming about Will holding him when the realization struck him. Will was too good to be true, and Nico still didn’t think he was good enough for him.</p>
<p>Nico laid in bed, listening to Percy and Annabeth snore. His mind spun. Will was smart and funny. He was sunshine and light. He was loveable, and gave his love freely. Everyone liked him. And hardly anyone liked Nico. He was a loner. He was creepy and off-putting. He was the son of Hades. He was the Ghost King.</p>
<p>Even if Will didn’t care about all of that, Nico knew he would fuck something up. He would do or say the wrong thing, and Will would realize Nico wasn’t who he thought he was. Nico didn’t know how to love other people. He didn’t know how to be a good boyfriend. Hell, he hardly knew how to be someone’s friend.</p>
<p>Quite a few of his friends were in relationships, and they all seemed to be doing well. Hazel was with Frank. Jason was with Piper. Percy was with Annabeth.</p>
<p>Percy and Annabeth awoke around seven in morning, going through their usual routine. Annabeth stood up and stretched, and Percy tried to drag her back into bed. As she went to shower, Percy gradually woke up. By the time he was out of bed, Annabeth was dropping a kiss on his cheek and heading out the door.</p>
<p>They seemed so natural around each other. Like being around each other was as easy as breathing.</p>
<p>“You’re staring,” Percy said softly as he sat up. His bedhead was atrocious – even worse than Nico’s. He examined Nico’s face with narrowed eyes. “You didn’t sleep last night. Something’s wrong.”</p>
<p>“I slept a little.” Nico drew his blankets around him, not wanting to get up and deal with the day.</p>
<p>Percy was waiting with an open expression for Nico to say more. Nico wondered if talking about it would make him feel better. He wondered if Percy would understand, at least to an extent.</p>
<p>“I’m…” Nico stared down at his hands, twirling one of his rings back and forth. “I’m dating Will. We started last week.”</p>
<p>Percy didn’t look surprised, but he tilted his head in confusion. “Is that not a good thing?”</p>
<p>“It <em>is</em>.” Nico clenched his fists. “I like him. I <em>want</em> to be with him. But I just know I’m going to fuck it up.”</p>
<p>Percy sighed softly. He moved from his bed to Nico’s. He sat on the edge, balancing his elbows on his knees. “And what makes you say that?”</p>
<p>Nico frowned at him. “You know what I’m like.”</p>
<p>Percy leveled him with a glare. “Yeah. I know you’re an idiot.” He patted the bed next to him.</p>
<p>Nico glared back and threw his legs over the edge of the bed, sitting side by side with Percy.</p>
<p>“You tend to sell yourself short, Nico,” Percy said softly. “Was there something that happened that’s making you worried?”</p>
<p>“No. I’m just – thinking.” It sounded stupid to say aloud. “I can’t stop thinking about it.”</p>
<p>“Nico. You’re going to make some mistakes. It happens to everyone. It happens to me. It happens to Annabeth.” Percy ruffled his hair. “Nobody’s perfect. But we love each other, so we keep trying for each other. My mom always told me that relationships take work, and you have to be willing to put the effort in.”</p>
<p>Nico frowned. He glanced out Percy’s window towards the infirmary, where Will had already started his morning shift. “I want things to work between us.”</p>
<p>“And I know you’ll put the effort in. You never really do things halfway.” Percy stood and stretched, his joints popping. “It’s Saturday, right?” Percy mused, taping his chin. “Get up. Get dressed. I got a plan.”</p>
<p>Usually when Percy said that, they were in the middle of a battle. But, no matter how dumb his plans sometimes seemed, they always worked. So, when Percy said he had a plan, Nico undoubtedly trusted him.</p>
<p>Percy headed outside while Nico showered and got dressed. He slid on a pair of his own jeans, plus one of the t-shirts Will lent him. He holstered his sword at his side and tousled his hair. When he got out of the bathroom, Percy was waiting for him with an excited expression.</p>
<p>Percy dragged Nico to the pegasi stables, grinning the whole way. He went straight up to Blackjack, who had made a full recovery from his arrow wound. He neighed when he saw them, tossing his mane back slightly. Nico imagined he was saying something along the lines of <em>‘It’s good to see you, boss! Got any grub?’</em></p>
<p>“Later, Blackjack.” Percy ran his fingers through his mane. “I was wondering if you were up for a trip to Manhattan. Nico and I are going to visit my mom and Paul.”</p>
<p>There was a pause as Percy listened to Blackjack’s answer. Then he turned to Nico.</p>
<p>“Climb on.” Percy hopped on Blackjack’s back.</p>
<p>Nico paused to pet Blackjack’s side. “Thank you.” He was grateful the pegasus was long over his fear of him. He sat behind Percy, grabbing on tight. He knew from experience that if he didn’t, he would last maybe a split second before falling off.</p>
<p>They took to the sky, the cool morning air whipping through Nico’s hair.</p>
<p>Nico didn’t know why Percy wanted to take him to visit his mom, but he wouldn’t complain.</p>
<p>~ ~ ~</p>
<p>Blackjack dropped them off across the street. Percy gave him directions to a nice field just outside the city, then asked for him to come back just after lunch. With his departure, Nico followed Percy down the busy Manhattan streets towards his mother’s apartment.</p>
<p>Once they were inside, Percy pulled a key out of his pocket and opened the apartment’s front door. He called out softly, “we’re here.” That meant Percy’s mom knew they were coming. Percy must have borrowed Annabeth’s phone to call her when Nico was in the shower.</p>
<p>Sally Jackson emerged from the kitchen, drying her hands with a dish towel. Her brown hair was streaked with grey, and she had smile lines around her eyes, but both suited her. She smiled warmly and wrapped Percy up in her arms. She held on tightly, like she never wanted to let go. When she did, she turned to Nico and pulled him into a hug as well. He stiffened and his eyes widened, but after a moment, he hugged her back. She let Nico pull back from the hug first.</p>
<p>“It’s good to see you boys.” Sally ruffled Percy’s hair. “Come to the kitchen. I made pancakes, bacon and eggs. And Percy, I got more of your favourite syrup.”</p>
<p>Percy’s expression brightened. “Come on, Nico. You <em>have</em> to try it.”</p>
<p>In the kitchen, Percy’s step-father, Paul, was already sitting at the table. Sally sat beside him. When Percy sat, Nico took the last available chair. They started passing around the dishes, filling their plates with still-steaming food. Nico took a few blue pancakes, a couple slices of bacon and small amount of eggs. Percy dumped enough syrup on his plate for it to pool under his food, though Nico chose to be a little more conservative. Although, he did add a little more on top of his pancakes when it was as good as Percy claimed.</p>
<p>Sally talked about her creative writing when Percy asked, Paul chipping in occasionally. He would smile when Sally did, his hand often wandering over to hold hers when she had it placed on the table. Percy listened with rapt attention, shoveling food into his mouth. He only paused eating when Sally asked him about camp.</p>
<p>He told her how Annabeth was busy working on Nico’s cabin, so he was staying with him for a while. Then he went on to tell her that Clarisse was training Nico to be an instructor at the training grounds.</p>
<p>Nico wavered slightly as the attention shifted to him, but he quickly relaxed as he started to talk. “Clarisse thought I would be good at it. I suppose I’m not <em>bad</em>, but I could use a little work.”</p>
<p>“He’s great,” Percy chipped in.</p>
<p>“You saw me teach for all of – what? Five minutes?” Nico raised his eyebrows.</p>
<p>“It was more than enough. Besides, Clarisse agrees. And she doesn’t doll out complements easily. Especially if they aren’t underhanded.”</p>
<p>Sally smiled at the two of them. “So long as you like it, that’s what matters.” She sounded so much like her son, it was funny.</p>
<p>“I do,” Nico said. “Once I’m cleared to use my powers again, I plan on summoning some teachers for the kids who are specializing with certain weapons, or with certain styles.”</p>
<p>Percy choked on his pancake. “Wait, <em>what</em>? I didn’t even think of that. Oh my gods, that’s so awesome.”</p>
<p>“How do you think I learned?” Nico was tempted to call Percy a dumbass, but he didn’t want to drag him in front of his mom. “I just hope it won’t be too creepy. Especially for some of the younger ones.”</p>
<p>“I’m sure everyone will warm up to the idea when they realize how badass it is.”</p>
<p>Nico hummed, but didn’t comment. He dove back into his pancakes, which were starting to get mushy from absorbing the syrup. Before long, he was finished his plate. Percy and Paul went for seconds, but Nico stuck with coffee when Sally offered it.</p>
<p>When Paul and Sally finished and stood to take care of the dishes, Percy leaned in and nudged Nico with his elbow. “You should talk to my mom.”</p>
<p>Nico jumped at the contact and glared. “<em>What</em>?”</p>
<p>Percy rolled his eyes. “Seriously. You were asking for relationship advice earlier. Ask my mom. If you want. She’d give you better advice than I ever could.”</p>
<p>“I don’t know…”</p>
<p>Percy shrugged. “Paul’s going to help me catch up on some school work. Take the opportunity. Trust me.”</p>
<p>When Percy pulled Paul away, Nico felt too awkward sitting at the table alone, so he went to help Sally with the dishes. She smiled with at him when he offered to rinse and dry. Nico liked her smile. Despite how little he remembered about his own mother, it reminded him of her.</p>
<p>“I’m glad Percy brought you over,” Sally said. “It’s been almost a year since I last saw you. You’ve grown taller.”</p>
<p>“Have I really?” Nico hadn’t ever really kept track.</p>
<p>Nico last saw Sally during the Battle of Manhattan. He regretted not coming to visit while Percy was missing, like Annabeth had. Although, he felt like it wasn’t his place. Him and Percy had a rockier friendship back then.</p>
<p>“How has camp been treating you? Percy said you were training to be an instructor, but I know there’s a lot more to camp than that. Have you been making friends?”</p>
<p>“A few.” Nico smiled fondly. “Both at the Roman and Greek camps. I have a sister at the Roman camp. She’s a year or so younger than me. She’s a centurion already.” Nico didn’t know if Sally knew what that meant, but she nodded, so he continued. “I have a friend there too. Her name’s Reyna.”</p>
<p>“And at Camp Half-Blood?” Sally prompted.</p>
<p>“Percy, of course. And Annabeth. Jason sort of counts for both camps, since he’s going to be traveling so much between them. He’s Roman though – son of Jupiter. There’s also… Will. He’s –“ Nico bit his lip. He glanced away. “We’re together.”</p>
<p>Nico wondered how this conversation would have gone with his own mother. People weren’t nearly as accepting of gay relationships back in his time. But, he really, really hoped that she still would have loved him as he was. He knew Bianca would have. He knew Hazel did.</p>
<p>“First relationship?” Sally wasn’t even phased by his proclamation.</p>
<p>“I – yeah.” Nico felt light with relief. “I kind of – don’t know what I’m doing.”</p>
<p>Sally chuckled. “That’s how it usually is. The most important thing is that you like him. And that he treats you well.”</p>
<p>“Yeah. I do. And he does.” Nico was only away from the camp and he was already missing him. “He’s really… He’s kind. He’s stubborn. And the way he looks at me… speaks to me… most people treat me like the son of Hades. Will? He just – he treats me like Nico. It’s like none of the death stuff even phases him.”</p>
<p>“Tell me more about him.” There were only a few more dishes for them to wash.</p>
<p>“He’s the son of Apollo. He’s the lead medic at camp. He’s really amazing in the infirmary. He saves a lot of lives there. He saved a lot in the past two wars too.” Nico was grinning as he started to speak, but it quickly fell. Nico heard of the casualties, especially after the Battle of Manhattan. Will saved many lives, but how many more died?</p>
<p>“It’s easy to put the people we love on pedestals.” Sally handed Nico a bowl. “But remember, as much as he is there for you, you have to be there for him as well. He might need you more than you think.”</p>
<p>Nico nodded, taking the last plate Sally handed him. “I’ve been wanting to do something for him. I thought about getting him flowers from a child of Demeter, but he already sees so many of them in the infirmary. He likes sweets, so I could also get him chocolates, but that seems too impersonable.”</p>
<p>“Something homemade, maybe?” Sally pulled out a worn cookbook from one of the kitchen drawers. “You said he liked sweets?”</p>
<p>Nico nodded.</p>
<p>“Come. I’ll show you how to make my famous chocolate chip cookies.”</p>
<p>Nico was surprised considering they just finished cleaning up after breakfast, but he scrambled to help. Sally was already pulling out the ingredients.</p>
<p>“Have you cooked before?”</p>
<p>“A long time ago,” Nico said. “With my mom and sister. I liked it. A lot.”</p>
<p>Sally smiled. “I like it too. I find it relaxing. And it’s nice to see everyone’s expressions when they bite into something delicious.” She handed Nico the cookbook with the page open on the cookies. It looked like Sally wrote it. “Take your time reading it. I usually make mine with blue food colouring, but we’ll leave it out today.”</p>
<p>Nico read the instructions, having to pause and backtrack occasionally because of his dyslexia. He asked for clarification sometimes, but eventually got through all of it. By the time he did, Sally had all the ingredients and utensils out.</p>
<p>She tied her hair up, then offered Nico a blue headband. Nico put it on without complaint. It kept his hair out of his eyes, and also would help keep his hair from falling into the dough. She walked Nico through the recipe. Before he knew it, his shirt was covered in flour and he had some swiped across his cheek. Percy returned from studying when he smelled the cookies, eager despite having just eaten.</p>
<p>The first batch turned out a little funny-looking, but Sally offered some words of encouragement as they started again. Meanwhile, Percy ate the botched cookies without complaint. The second batch turned out much better. Sally gave Nico a bag to put them in.</p>
<p>After cleaning up again, Nico helped with lunch as well, which was much simpler. They made BLT sandwiches, Percy’s and Nico’s wrapped to-go. They said goodbye at the door, where Sally pulled them both into hugs again.</p>
<p>“If you ever need anything, our door is always open to you,” Sally said.</p>
<p>Nico wasn’t ashamed to admit he teared up a little.</p>
<p>Nico held the cookies in one hand and his sandwich in the other as they headed down the street to meet Blackjack. Once they reached an alley, Percy stuck his fingers in his mouth and let out a piercing whistle. Then they waited.</p>
<p>Nico fidgeted. “Percy. I – <em>thank you</em>.”</p>
<p>Percy held out his arm, quirking a brow. His smirk was infuriating, but Nico stepped into the hug anyway.</p>
<p>~ ~ ~</p>
<p>Nico headed to the infirmary, bag of cookies in his hands. Lunch was over, but Will was still working for a couple more hours. Nico went up to the counter, Will smiling when he saw him.</p>
<p>“Hey, I missed you at breakfast. And lunch. You’ve eaten?” Will held out his hand and Nico placed his on top with an eye roll.</p>
<p>“I have. Percy’s mom is a really good cook.” Nico held out the bag of cookies. “Um – she showed me how to make these. They’re for you.”</p>
<p>Will’s eyes widened as he took the bag. “You brought me homemade chocolate chip cookies?” He had stupid little smile on his face. “Thank you.” He leaned forward to kiss him, but pulled back when he remembered they weren’t in private.</p>
<p>Nico leaned forward the rest of the way and kissed his cheek. “Some are a little weird looking, but I think they taste okay.”</p>
<p>Will touched his cheek with his fingertips, his smiled growing. “I love them.”</p>
<p>“You haven’t even tried them yet.”</p>
<p>“I know.” Will opened the bag and fished one out. He took a bite. “They’re the best things I’ve ever tasted.”</p>
<p>Nico rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t help but smile. “Don’t be dramatic.”</p>
<p>Will laughed. “Believe me, I’m not.” He kissed Nico on the lips. He tasted of chocolate and faintly of coffee. “You’re a good cook.”</p>
<p>“Baker, in this case.” Nico pulled back so he could step around the counter and join Will. He pulled up a chair, snagging one of the cookies when Will held the bag out to him. Will tentatively wrapped an arm around his waist, then tightened his hold when Nico leaned into him.</p>
<p>Nico had some hope. Maybe he wasn’t as bad at this relationship thing as he thought.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Next chapter on Friday/Saturday!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tartarus always plagued Nico’s nightmares. It scorched every inch of his body, searing him on both the inside and out. Abruptly, he was yanked out of the heat and dropped into the coldness of the Underworld. Nico gasped sharply at the change, trying to ease his harsh breaths and stop himself from trembling. His father sat on the throne before him, waiting for Nico to collect himself.</p><p>“Father,” Nico rasped. It was only a few weeks since they last spoke. Weeks since Hades told Nico he wished for him to be happy.</p><p>Hades stepped down from his throne, Persephone’s empty at his side. He strode to Nico, placing a hand on his shoulder. He could feel the coldness of Hades’ hand through his shirt, but the touch was reassuring and grounding. Nico relaxed and took a deep breath. The next time he spoke, it was much clearer.</p><p>“Did you need me for something?”</p><p>Hades’ stood, gesturing for Nico to follow suit. Nico’s legs shook, but he managed. His father gazed into the darkness of the throne room. Then the shadows started to shift, tendrils moving like massive spider legs. Nico peered through the darkness to see what his father saw.</p><p>There was a skeleton on the bank of the Lethe. Its eyes were blank. Black water dribbled between its teeth. A woman stood behind it with empty black holes for eyes. One side of her was pale like chalk, and the other was mummified.</p><p>“Melinoe has been recreating her legion of spirits in secret. I can’t allow it to continue.” Hades’ voice was low and menacing. “She must be dealt with.”</p><p>Nico assumed he would be the one dealing with her. He wasn’t thrilled, given his last encounter with her while retrieving the sword Persephone was making for Hades. The only reason he was still alive was because Thalia and Percy were with him.</p><p>“Take care of the army.” Hades continued. “And take someone reliable to help you. You are still not back to full power.”</p><p>Nico scowled at the reminder. He had another two days before he was even cleared to shadow travel.</p><p>Hades put his hand on Nico’s shoulder again. “But, you are strong enough for this.”</p><p>The shadows swallowed Nico up, returning him to his sleep. The rest of Nico’s night was blissfully dream-free. He awoke just before noon with a crick in his neck and a small headache, but overall, he slept rather well. He was back in his own cabin, his bed wonderfully soft, with daylight streaming through the windows. He nestled in the black blankets for another half-an-hour before getting up.</p><p>Nico dressed, throwing a sweater under his arm for later. He took his sword with him, then went to find Percy. It was almost lunch time, so Nico unsurprisingly found him sitting at the Poseidon table, looking slightly dejected as Annabeth was over at the Athena table, arguing about blueprints.</p><p>Nico slid into the seat beside him. Percy glanced up and smiled. Nico grimaced. He felt bad, asking for help after all Percy had already done for him.</p><p>“What’s with the sour expression?”</p><p>Nico sighed. “My father spoke to me in my dreams last night. He has a job for me.” Nico shifted uncomfortably. “You remember Melinoe?”</p><p>It was Percy’s turn to make a sour face. “What about her?”</p><p>“She’s recreating her army of dead. Father wants me to take care of it. He told me to bring someone reliable with me.”</p><p>“When do we leave?” There was no hesitation. Percy didn’t doubt him, despite him and Nico’s past. <em>Especially</em> with Nico’s past bringing him to the Underworld.</p><p>“We should get lunch first.” Nico frowned. “I should also probably tell Will, since I’m going against his medical advice.”</p><p>Percy winced. “Yeah. Good luck with that. You want me to grab you something in case it takes long?”</p><p>“A sandwich would be good. Thanks, Percy.”</p><p>Percy waved him off.</p><p>Nico’s stomach dropped as he headed to the Apollo cabin. Will was off duty at the infirmary that day, so Nico was likely to find him there, or at the archery range with Kayla. Nico stood on the front steps of the Apollo cabin, feeling woefully out of place amongst the brightness and the flowers growing around it. When he knocked, one of Will’s younger siblings opened the door and stared at him with wide eyes.</p><p>Nico tried for a polite smile, hoping he didn’t look too creepy. “Is Will –“</p><p>The kid already ran off, leaving the door open. Nico poked his head inside. Will was going through the trunk at the foot of his bed. He glanced up when the kid tapped his shoulder and pointed at the door. Will met Nico’s eyes, then grinned.</p><p>He looked so happy to see him. Nico frowned, knowing he wouldn’t be so happy once Nico told him why he was there. Will’s sibling ran out the door past them, likely heading out for lunch. That left Will and Nico in the cabin alone.</p><p>Nico swallowed thickly as Will took his hand and dragged him over to his bed. They sat on the edge of it, Nico staring at their joined hands.</p><p>“What’s up?” Will ran his thumb along Nico’s knuckles.</p><p>Nico bit his lips. He peeked at Will’s open expression and resisted the urge to fidget. “My father contacted me last night. I’m needed in the Underworld.”</p><p>Will’s jaw clenched, his hand tightening around Nico’s. “You have to go?”</p><p>“I – yeah. I do.”</p><p>“Okay.” Will closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He forcibly relaxed, then stood. “We need to get you prepared then.” He started rifling through his trunk again. He pulled out a blue backpack, and started filling it with medical supplies, including some ambrosia, nectar, and some disgusting gum. “You’re going all by yourself?”</p><p>“Percy’s coming with me to help.” Nico took the bag when Will offered it. “It’s something – someone we’ve dealt with in the past.”</p><p>Will seemed upset, but he nodded. “Then… I guess…” Will stood, seeming unsure what to do. “…make sure you come to infirmary right after. I want to look you over myself. And make sure not to push yourself too far. If you come back and you’re fading again – “</p><p>Nico wrapped his arms around him. “I’ll be careful.” He tilted his head up, feeling Will’s breath on his lips.</p><p>“Promise?”</p><p>“I promise.” Nico kissed him goodbye.</p><p>~ ~ ~</p><p>Nico wobbled slightly as he stepped out of the shadows, towing Percy close behind him. His vision was fading in and out. He crouched, hoping for the Underworld to stop spinning around him enough that he could hold his sword.</p><p>Percy groaned beside him and took a seat. “How do you get used to that?”</p><p>Nico neglected to answer, shrugging off his bag and digging out the gum Will packed him. He popped one in his mouth. It tasted terrible, but it did make him feel better. He put the bag back on and shakily stood. He glanced around and got their bearings. He managed to transport them to the Lethe, but they weren’t quite by Melinoe’s cave, which was to the north.</p><p>Nico groaned. “We better get walking if we want to make it back for dinner.”</p><p>“Damn,” Percy muttered. “We’re having barbecue tonight too. I might cry if I miss it.”</p><p>They walked along the bank of the river, Nico pulling on his sweater to combat the cold. Percy seemed unaffected by it. He continually glanced around as if checking for monsters, occasionally reaching into his pocket to take riptide in his hand, still in pen form. Nico kept his hand on his sword, ready to draw it at any time.</p><p>He wouldn’t put it past Melinoe to know they were coming and send one of her memory-wiped skeletons after them. It felt like they were being watched, despite there being no obvious monsters.</p><p>“I’m getting the creeps,” Percy muttered.</p><p>Nico frowned. “You’re not the only one.” Usually the Underworld felt like home to him, but there was an oppressive air hanging over them. It was worse than when Persephone found out Nico took pomegranates from her garden. “We should only have a little further to go.”</p><p>Then they would have to cross the river. Percy lifted it the last time they were there, even in the weakened state he was in. Nico had no doubts he would be able to do it again, but the thought of passing under the water made his stomach turn. He was just making a new life for himself. He didn’t want to forget this one too.</p><p>“Here should be good.” Nico scuffed at the riverbank with his heel. “Think you could work your magic?”</p><p>Percy rolled his eyes. “Easy-peasy.” Percy quirked a finger upwards and a section of the river lifted like an arch. “After you.”</p><p>Nico grinned and rolled his eyes. They crossed the bank, even the dirt under their soles leached of all water. It was dry as bone. For Percy, such a feat seemed as easy as breathing. Nico felt a little envious, struggling to use his own powers to the extent he used to. Percy only seemed to grow stronger.</p><p>It was terrifying, but Nico was glad he was on his side. That they were friends.</p><p>Percy let the river back into its banks. He turned to Nico and waited for him to lead the way. Nico’s unease was growing with every step they took towards Melinoe’s cave.</p><p>Then the entire ground shook. It was Nico instincts that saved him when skeletal hands tore from the ground and grabbed him. He swung down with his sword, shattering bones.</p><p>Percy drew his sword with a shout. He was surrounded by skeletal warriors, all armed with various weapons. Nico commanded them to depart, but much like when he faced Bryce Lawrence, they ignored him. Nico strode forward. Percy was slashing though ribcages, leaving the skeletons in pieces.</p><p>Nico sliced one in the back, putting all his power in his orders. “<em>Depart.</em>”</p><p>The skeleton faded into ash. Nico felt the strain of using his power immediately, gritting his teeth. He couldn’t do that for every skeleton they came across. Melinoe was exerting her will on them, and even in top condition, Nico simply couldn’t compare to the power of a god.</p><p>“We keep moving,” Nico said. He marched onwards to Melinoe’s cave.</p><p>“Are all of these hers?” They cut through skeletons on their way to the familiar cave, mist billowing out. “You can’t control them?”</p><p>“She’s the god of ghosts,” Nico said. And he was only the self-proclaimed king. “We need to get to her. She can just keep raising more of them.”</p><p>Percy cut down more, grimacing. Then the ground erupted at his feet. No, <em>it cracked.</em> Nico saw fear pass through his eyes as he was suddenly in free-fall. Nico dove without even thinking, discarding his sword and reaching with his right hand. There was a sickening pop and pain as his shoulder dislocated.</p><p>Nico bit back a cry, focusing on Percy’s hand in his. He was dangling there, and Nico wouldn’t allow him to fall to wherever in the Underworld Melinoe was trying to send him.</p><p>“Percy,” Nico gasped. “You have to climb up.”</p><p>Judging by Percy’s expression, he was remembering his last fall. All the way down to Tartarus.</p><p>“<em>Percy!</em>” Nico didn’t know how much longer he could hold on.</p><p>Percy’s gaze snapped to Nico’s, his eyes widening. He grabbed Nico’s arm firmly, then the edge of the crack, and hefted himself up. Nico groaned as he pulled his arm close to his body, and retrieved his sword with his left hand. He was glad he practiced with his non-dominant hand more than ever, although he wasn’t nearly as good as with his right hand.</p><p>They made it to the cave, skeletons behind them. Everything seemed to pause as a figure emerged from the darkness. Nico was expecting an apparition of his mother again. Instead, he was staring into the face of one of his least favourite demigods. Percy gasped and went ridged beside him. His hand loosened around his sword, and it almost fell to the ground. But he tightened his hand and glared towards Melinoe.</p><p>“You’ve both gained many ghosts,” Melinoe purred. “Your fear is delicious.”</p><p>Percy was pale, but he grinned viciously. “You make a pour excuse for Tartarus, Melanie.”</p><p>Melinoe glared. “It’s Melinoe.”</p><p>“Melon who?” Percy sure knew how to piss gods off. His hands were shaking, but he made eye contact with Nico, raising his eyebrows.</p><p>Nico nodded. He was fine. He wasn’t immobilized, not like the last time he met Melinoe. He turned to her, taking in her form. Bryce Lawrence’s pond scum eyes bore into his, his smile cruel.</p><p>“You’re dead,” Nico said. “I killed you.”</p><p>“Did you?” Melinoe said. “I believe the proper term in execution, or perhaps, murder?” Melinoe’s face was starting to change. Brown hair turned black. Her skin paled. Until Nico was looking at a mirror reflection of himself. Except Melinoe had a crazed expression, a grin curling her lips. “Tell me, which do you think is stronger? Your regret over killing Bryce, or your fear of yourself?”</p><p><em>“Shut up</em>.” Nico growled. He tightened his hand around his sword. He pointed it at her. “Maybe I’ll kill you.”</p><p>Melinoe laughed. She held her palm out to the ground, shadows swirling underneath it. They condensed until Melinoe was holding a sword that was exactly like Nico’s, even to the last detail. “Could you?” Her form flickered. For a moment, Nico saw her true face, twisted up with fury.</p><p>Percy gripped his sword tighter beside him. “I have your back.”</p><p>Nico stalked toward Melinoe while Percy dealt with the skeletons. Something inside him went cold. The shadows twisted around him. “Father sent me as a warning.”</p><p>Melinoe scoffed. “As if I care what the old man has to say. He left me out to dry. Ordering me to stay here… What do you think will happen to me if I stay locked in this cave forever? What will happen when the humans forget the way I terrorized them in the night? I can only do so much from here.” Melinoe grit her teeth. “I won’t let myself disappear. I <em>can’t</em>.”</p><p>Nico glared. “You say that as if I care about half-dead gods.” Nico struck with his sword. Melinoe blocked it. Nico was obviously the better swordsman, but Melinoe had the strength of a god. Nico rolled out of the way of Melinoe’s strike. She was surprisingly fast.</p><p>They traded blows. While Nico grew tired, Melinoe never faltered.  Nico was receiving more damage than he was dishing out. Lacerations covered his arms and torso, and he had a deep one across his thigh that was leaking a steady stream of blood.</p><p>A skeletal hand erupted from the earth and grabbed at his ankle, almost tripping him. Nico barely pulled his foot away in time, then dodged another strike. Percy was dealing with his own horde of skeleton warriors, so Nico was forced to deal with the ones Melinoe was continually summoning. Nico kept cutting them down, but more and more were taking their place.</p><p>Percy was at the entrance of the cave, having summoned water from the Lethe. He splattered the skeletons with it as he fought. They would drop their swords and stand in utter confusion until Percy cut them down. But he was tiring too. Sweat was running down his face and wetting his shirt. He was slowly, but surely being driven further into the cave, and further away from his water source.</p><p>Soon, the both of them would be overwhelmed.</p><p>Nico had to end this fight. And he had to end it fast. He rolled away from another strike and bolted towards Melinoe. He swung with everything he had, but it didn’t seem like enough. Although Melinoe just barely blocked his strikes, she still blocked them.</p><p>Nico twisted his sword against Melinoe’s, trying to disarm her, but her grip was too strong, even from the odd position. Their swords were linked together.</p><p>“It’s entertaining,” she said. “To watch humans struggle so futility.” She pressed back against Nico’s sword until it was almost trapped against his chest. Nico could smell her rotten breath with their proximity.</p><p>Nico headbutted her in the nose. There was a satisfying crunch as Melinoe reeled back with a cry, clutching at her face. Golden ichor trickled between her fingers. She looked up, absolutely murderous, but Nico hadn’t wasted the distraction. He was already swinging downwards. He was about to land a killing blow.</p><p>Her hair grew, her expression softened. Nico was no longer looking at himself. Instead, he was looking at Bianca, just as she was years earlier. Nico’s gasp was a half-sob.</p><p>Percy glanced upwards from his own battle, his eyes widening. He started running towards them. He was shouting something, but Nico couldn’t hear him. </p><p>Nico knew it was Melinoe. That it was a trick. But he still froze for a split second.</p><p>It was enough.</p><p>Melinoe moved backwards. Nico’s strike was short. It still bit into her neck, but it wasn’t deep enough. Golden ichor trickled down to her golden clothes. With a grin, she knocked Nico’s sword out of his grip, cutting deeply into his left wrist. His right arm hung uselessly at his side. Melinoe swung her sword at him again.</p><p>Percy had broken away from the monsters he was fighting, but he wasn’t fast enough. He stabbed Melinoe with riptide as she swung. His sword drove deep into her stomach. But it didn’t stop her forward momentum. It didn’t stop her sword from sliding across Nico’s throat. As Melinoe collapsed into a puddle of golden ichor, blood gushed out of Nico’s slashed throat.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Next Chapter on Monday/Tuesday. Final Chapter on Thursday/Friday.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Nico fell to his knees, uselessly clutching at his throat with his left hand. Blood spurted between his fingers. He was dying. He could feel the shadows begin to pull at him and his consciousness. He felt cold. Colder than usual.</p>
<p>He didn’t want to die. Death was natural, and as a son of Hades, he had no reason to fear it. Death was never the end. When he died, he would be considered a hero. He would be granted Elysium, or rebirth. Like his sister was. It shouldn’t have scared him, but – but he didn’t want his life to be over yet. He wanted to go back to Camp Half-Blood. He wanted to see his friends. He wanted to see his sister. And he wanted to see Will.</p>
<p>Will – who was probably in the infirmary or looking after his siblings. Will – who had no idea the trouble Nico was in. Will – who had already lost so many people he cared about.</p>
<p>Nico loved him. And he didn’t want to lose him either.</p>
<p>Something felt <em>wrong</em>. So wrong that Nico’s entire body tensed, panic quickly taking hold. It felt like he had no control of his body. No, more like something was fighting for control of his body.</p>
<p>Nico blinked the tears and black spots from his eyes, staring up into the face of Percy Jackson. His face was hard with concentration, blood dripping from his nose. His hands hovered over Nico’s throat – stopping the blood from flowing out.</p>
<p>Nico snapped back into his body all at once. The shadows receded. He coughed wetly from the blood that trickled down his throat earlier. Percy gasped slightly as Nico’s movement fluctuated his control, more blood spurting forth from his throat.</p>
<p>Nico froze, doing his best to keep still.</p>
<p>“Nico,” Percy gasped. “You’re not dying. I won’t let you.”</p>
<p>Everything hurt. Percy stopped the blood from flowing out of his carotid artery, but none of the damage was repaired. He was still losing blood from other vessels, and he was certain his airway was compromised. He would be dead in minutes, regardless of whether or not Percy kept the artery closed.</p>
<p>Nico moved as slowly as he could. He still had his backpack on his back, and in it, precious nectar. Nico tried not to panic as he reached behind him, the zipper hardly graspable underneath him. He opened it just enough to get his hand in, blood soaking his fingers and making them slippery. In addition, Melinoe must have cut through muscles when she hit his hand. Not all his fingers seemed to be working. The ones that did, hurt to move. He found the cool metal of the canteen, stored near the top. He pulled it out and fumbled with the lid, nearly spilling the entire thing when it was finally opened.</p>
<p>Percy was sweating and breathing hard, but his focus never faltered, even as Nico poured the nectar directly over his neck. Nectar did an amazing job healing wounds, but it could only do so much. It wouldn’t be enough to save Nico’s life. The best he could do was buy himself time.</p>
<p>It seemed Percy realized the same. He started swearing. Cursing. Then cursing the gods. Then praying. To Hades. He begged Nico’s father to help.</p>
<p>There was no answer.</p>
<p>Nico felt the shadows around them. They stretched and wavered. They were a part of him, and they did as he commanded. He was a demigod. He was a son of Hades, and he would not be dying in his father’s realm. The Underworld was where Nico was the strongest.</p>
<p>He remembered his father’s words. <em>You are strong enough for this</em>. His father believed in him. Nico just had to believe in himself. He reached out, clasping a hand around Percy’s wrist. Then he let himself tumble into the shadows below him. He only had one goal, one destination in mind – and that was to make it to wherever Will was.</p>
<p>After a moment, Nico could feel a warm breeze against his skin. The night sky was above him, the stars twinkling. Percy was still above him, tears streaming down his face. He was screaming for help.</p>
<p>Everything went black.</p>
<p>~ ~ ~</p>
<p>Nico was confused the next time he awoke. The lights around him were blinding, aggravating the headache he already had. His whole body felt like it had been hit with a truck. Twice. He would have groaned, but his throat hurt so much he was afraid to.</p>
<p>Instead, he blinked his eyes slowly, getting used to the light surrounding him. Once he could tolerate it, he started trying to move his limbs. One arm was in a sling over his chest. His other had a heavily bandaged hand and an I.V. stuck in his forearm. Wincing, he tried to push himself up.</p>
<p>“Whoa.” A hand pressed on Nico’s chest, keeping him down.</p>
<p>All Nico saw was blonde hair. “Will?” It hurt to speak, but it brought him relief that he could.</p>
<p>“In the bed next to you.” That was Jason’s voice. “He tired himself out healing you. He’s been out for twelve hours already.” Jason’s hand ran through Nico’s hair. “You scared us.”</p>
<p>Nico swallowed thickly. “Sorry.”</p>
<p>“You still wanting to sit up?” Jason asked. “I can get you some water.”</p>
<p>“Yeah.”</p>
<p>Jason looped an arm around his back and eased him up. Nico’s vision darkened momentarily, but once Jason propped up him up with some pillows, he was feeling much better. Jason held out a cup of water with a straw and Nico drank. Unfortunately, it only made Nico’s throat feel fractionally better.</p>
<p>Nico glanced around the infirmary. Most of the lights were off. Kayla was at the front counter. She caught his gaze and nodded, but let him have some time with Jason before she came over. Like Jason said, Will was in the bed next to him. He looked terrible. He was paler than Nico ever saw him, and was hooked up to an I.V. as well.</p>
<p>Between them, Percy was sprawled out in a chair. He had bandages all over, and he was in new clothes, but blood was still under his fingernails. He wasn’t as pale as Will, but his eyes were swollen and his nose was red. He began stirring, awoken by all their talking. His green eyes were enhanced by the red around them. Nico watched a number of emotions pass through them. Relief. Happiness. Worry. Resignation.</p>
<p>“Nico, I’m –“ Percy grimaced. “I’m glad you’re okay.” He looked down at his hands, picking at the blood under his fingernails.</p>
<p>Nico stared. Percy was many things. He was an idiot, although not as big of one as he made himself out to be. He was quick to anger, and could be almost as vengeful as Nico could be. And he was powerful. Scarily powerful. Nico never heard of a son of Poseidon controlling blood. He supposed in theory it was possible. Blood was mostly water.</p>
<p>Percy did it without hesitation. He knew he would be able to do it. He’d done it before.</p>
<p>Percy’s eyes were dark, shuttered. It was like he was looking at something that wasn’t there. Nico knew he often looked like that too, when he thought of his time in Tartarus. Nico wondered if he learned the skill there. And who he used it against.</p>
<p>The thought of what Percy could do with his powers was terrifying. The capabilities were endless. He could probably kill someone without lifting a finger. Yet, it was painfully obvious Percy hated using the power. And he used it, only to save the life of his friend.</p>
<p>Nico was glad to have him in his life.</p>
<p>“Thank you.”</p>
<p>Percy glanced up at the words, then his eyes started to water again. He sniffled and wiped at his face. He sat beside Nico on his bed, gaze flickering down to Nico’s throat. “I thought you were going to die.”</p>
<p>“Wasn’t my time.” Nico smiled softly. He didn’t say how much he thought the same. “How bad is it?”</p>
<p>Kayla took that as her cue to come over. She grabbed a clipboard from the base of Nico’s bed and cleared her throat to get everyone’s attention. “How are you doing, Nico?”</p>
<p>“Fantastic.” It still hurt to talk. She could probably tell based on how gravely his voice sounded.</p>
<p>Kayla’s lips quirked. “Okay. Well, why don’t you relax and I’ll run you through everything. You’ve were brought here twenty-three hours ago after you traveled back from the Underworld. We worked on you for eleven hours. All minor injures have been healed. Your arm will be in a sling for a few days while your shoulder heals from the dislocation. The bandage over the gash on your hand should be able to come off in two.” Her eyes darted to his throat. “Our efforts went mostly to your neck injury, which is mostly healed now. Although, I imagine you feel some pain and discomfort?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” Nico didn’t nod his head, for fear of pulling at the wound.</p>
<p>“I’ll get you some medication. Don’t worry about swallowing any pills. I’ll feed it through your I.V. For now, just focus on resting. You want me to kick these two out?” She gestured to Jason and Percy, but mostly Percy.</p>
<p>Nico regarded them again. Jason had circles under his eyes. Percy was still covered in blood and grim. “Sleep. Shower.” He glared to get his point across.</p>
<p>Jason huffed a laugh while Percy sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.</p>
<p>“You heard him,” Kayla said. “Out.”</p>
<p>They said their goodbyes, promising to come back in the morning. Nico rested back against the pillows. Despite having slept for twenty-three hours, he was still exhausted. Distantly, he felt Kayla returning his pillows to their rightful places and easing him back down into bed.</p>
<p>~ ~ ~</p>
<p>The next time Nico awoke, there was a hand carding through his hair. When Nico started to stir, the hand froze. Nico opened his eyes slowly, but the light didn’t hurt as much as last time. Will was hovering above him with a pinched expression.</p>
<p>Nico met his gaze and smiled softly. “Hey.” His throat didn’t hurt quiet so much.</p>
<p>“Hey,” Will breathed. He resumed running his fingers through Nico’s hair. He leaned down and kissed Nico’s forehead.</p>
<p>Nico unexpectedly felt his eyes water at the simple action.</p>
<p>“<em>Nico.</em>” Will brushed his tears away with his thumbs.</p>
<p>Nico could help but remember how scared he was when his blood was pouring out of him. He remembered how much it hurt to think he wouldn’t be able to see Will again. “Don’t leave,” Nico croaked.</p>
<p>“I’m not leaving. I’m staying right here. Right with you.” Will continued to wipe away his tears, and pushed some of his hair off his forehead. He started to hum softly. It was a soft melody, and slightly off key, but it helped Nico relax.</p>
<p>He wished he could have grabbed Will and pulled him into his arms, but both of them were pretty useless. Especially the one with the sling. He lifted his bandaged arm and loosely draped it over Will’s back.</p>
<p>Thankfully, he seemed to understand. He helped Nico shift over, then laid down beside him. Unfortunately, they could get too close. Will was on his right side – the side with the sling – since he didn’t want to interfere with the I.V. line.</p>
<p>Still, he curled up next to Nico, his uneven breaths ruffling his hair. Nico wasn’t the only one crying anymore. Will wrapped an arm around Nico’s stomach.</p>
<p>His voice shook when he spoke. “I thought I lost you.” His breath hitched. “I couldn’t stand losing you too.”</p>
<p>Nico knew the past deaths haunted Will. He lost his friends. His siblings. His family. But Nico never once saw him breakdown. He always remained cool and collected. He had to, as both the head medic and the camp councillor.</p>
<p>But now that Nico almost died, Will clung to him like he was afraid to let go.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry,” Nico said.</p>
<p>“No. No, don’t be sorry.” Will kissed his temple. “You have nothing to be sorry for. I’m just – I’m scared. Of losing more people. Of losing more friends. Of losing <em>you</em>. Constantly.” He pressed his forehead against the side of Nico’s head. He took another shuddering breath, then tried to stifle a sob.</p>
<p>“I was scared too.” Nico swallowed thickly. “That I wouldn’t be able to come home. That I wouldn’t be able to see you.” He felt tears pooling in his eyes. He wasn’t able to wipe them away. When he blinked, they ran down his cheeks and temples.</p>
<p>Will shook his head. “I’m sorry. You’re the one who’s hurt. I shouldn’t…”</p>
<p>Nico remembered what Percy’s mom had said. That Nico had to be there for Will as well. And right then, they were both hurting. Will had a habit of putting everyone else in front of himself. He shuttered his emotions. Nico wondered how long they were eating away at him. “You’re not going to make me cry alone, are you?” Nico tried to sound haughty, and only half-managed.</p>
<p>Will made a sound that could have been a laugh or a sob. “Okay.”</p>
<p>Nico tilted his head as far as he dared, watching Will out of the corner of his eyes. Will met his gaze, his pale face splotchy with red. He released Nico’s waist so he could cup Nico’s cheek, touch feather-light. He leaned over Nico and brushed their lips together.</p>
<p>Will kissed his face. He kissed his cheeks, his forehead, his chin, his nose, and occasionally went back to his lips. He spoke in between kisses. “Sometimes I wish we were just normal demigods,” he confessed. “Then we wouldn’t have to deal with any of this. We wouldn’t be pulled away on dangerous quests. We wouldn’t have to fight in any divine wars. We could leave camp, and never have to worry about being attacked by monsters. We’d have friends. And family. And we wouldn’t have to worry everyday whether or not they were going to be killed by monsters. We could go to a boring school. And have a boring, ordinary life.”</p>
<p>It sounded nice. Nico wished it was possible. “What else?”</p>
<p>Will hummed. “We’d go get milkshakes every Friday. After – hey, do you think I could play football?”</p>
<p>On one hand, Will could run really fast. On the other, Nico couldn’t really see him playing a full-contact sport and not going ballistic over all the possible concussions. “Volleyball.” Nico saw him play before. He was pretty decent.</p>
<p>“Right. So after volleyball we would go for burgers and shakes. To a nice family-owned place, you know? And the burgers would be too greasy, but they’d still be really good.”</p>
<p>“And then?”</p>
<p>Will hummed. His voice was getting softer. Less choked. “And then we’d stay out for a while. Maybe hang out at the park or sneak back to the field at the school. We’d lay on our backs. Watch the sunset. Count the stars. You’d probably fall asleep.”</p>
<p>Nico smiled. “You’d have to lug me back home.”</p>
<p>“It’d be worth it.”</p>
<p>Nico wanted something like that. He suddenly realized the appeal New Rome held for Percy and Annabeth. And for all the demigods and legacies who lived there. It was a safe haven, where they could be as normal as possible. They could go to university, and walk down the street for burgers or coffee. They didn’t have to worry about random monster attacks. At least, not as much as they did in the mortal world.</p>
<p>Nico wanted that type of life. With Will.</p>
<p>Will was already planning on going. Now Nico just had to catch up with him. It would be a few years before they were ready, and it would be a lot of hard work. But it was worth it. Nico wondered if he could convince Reyna to let him and Will attend, like she let Percy and Annabeth, due to their efforts during the war. Nico put in his share of work, and Will made himself known by saving many lives – both Roman and Greek.</p>
<p>He’d have to talk to her and see.</p>
<p>Will ran his fingers through Nico’s hair, which was tangled and not entirely blood-free. Nico stayed still as Will silently stood and retrieved a few damp cloths. He prompted Nico to turn away from him, then worked through Nico’s hair meticulously, until every curl was shining. Nico closed his eyes and enjoyed the sensation of Will massaging his scalp. He ran his fingers through Nico’s hair a few more times, deeming it clean enough.</p>
<p>He slid back into bed behind Nico, pressing his chest against Nico’s back. He buried his face into Nico’s curls and his breath shuddered, like he was going to start crying again. Will wrapped an arm around his waist again and tangled their legs together.</p>
<p>“Is this okay?”</p>
<p>Will was warm and his touch was comforting. Nico wanted to sink against him. He wanted to get closer to him, although he didn’t think that was possible, especially given the state of his limbs. “Hold me tighter?”</p>
<p>Will obliged.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>One month later…</strong>
</p>
<p>Nico was instructing in the combat arena when Hazel tackled him from behind. Nico nearly fell, barely catching himself. With a put-upon sigh, he turned to face her.</p>
<p>“You’re early.” He glanced above her head to see Reyna standing at the edge of the clearing, with her arms crossed and a barely-there smile on her lips. “You’re getting better at shadow-traveling.” Hazel was practicing for the past couple months, always coming by shadow-travel instead of riding Arion.</p>
<p>“We only made two unexpected stops this time. But at least one was in New York, so we were able to get some pizza for lunch.” Hazel kissed his cheek.</p>
<p>Nico returned the gesture. “You didn’t bring me any?”</p>
<p>Hazel rolled her eyes. “I stuffed the rest in your mini-fridge in the cabin. You did some remodeling? It looks good.”</p>
<p>“I could have done anything and it would have looked <em>better</em>.” Nico rolled his eyes back at her. “You look well. It’s nice to see you. How long are you staying?”</p>
<p>“Eager to get rid of me already?”</p>
<p>Nico scoffed and dismissed his class. Most of them were no longer training anyway, opting to listen to their conversation. Nico would never get used to how <em>nosy</em> his students were. He linked arms with Hazel. They headed over to where Reyna was waiting.</p>
<p>Nico greeted her with a hug, which she accepted with a grin. She held Nico tightly for a few moments, then pulled back with her hands still on his shoulders. She examined him closely, making him glance away in embarrassment.</p>
<p>“You’ve grown,” she said fondly.</p>
<p>Nico frowned. “Half an inch can hardly be considered growing.”</p>
<p>Reyna laughed. “That’s not what I meant.” She hugged him again.</p>
<p>Reyna was visiting to discuss an exchange program between the two camps with Chiron. As ambassadors, Nico and Hazel were also involved in the discussions, since they would likely be the ones transporting demigods back and forth. Nico thought it was a good idea, although problems could always arise, especially with the more aggressive demigods.</p>
<p>However, Reyna and Chiron’s meeting wasn’t until later that afternoon, while everyone else was at the bonfire. She would likely take the time to observe camp and see what it had to offer to the Roman demigods.</p>
<p>“Those kids hang on your every word, don’t they?” Reyna watched them pack up. “Teaching suits you.”</p>
<p>“So everyone has been telling me.” Nico shook his head. Teaching by himself was a little awkward at first. Half the kids were scared of him. Some were awed by him. The rest were disrespectful. He made sure to talk carefully to the scared ones, and made sure to be firm, but polite with the disrespectful ones.</p>
<p>Nico had two instances of utter stupidity from him students. One which sent multiple kids to the infirmary. Once everything was taken care of and the kids were under Will’s care, Nico wanted to rip into the ones responsible. Instead, he surprised even himself when he sat down and had a calm conversation with them. After that, most of the kids gained respect for him – if they hadn’t already.</p>
<p>But it also left Nico knowing that he had to do better. He almost panicked when he saw all the blood, and felt the aura of death heavy in the air. He had lives he was responsible for, and he didn’t want to be sending any of them to meet his father. So he took every first-aid class Will offered, and bothered him to train him.</p>
<p>“I’m doing my best,” Nico said softly. He hoped it was enough.</p>
<p>Reyna squeezed his shoulders, then let her arms drop. “Even Chiron speaks highly of your teaching. I’ll have to steal you away to teach the cohorts some new talents.”</p>
<p>Hazel sighed. “The new recruits – they need some work.”</p>
<p>Reyna snorted. “<em>They </em>think they’re great. They wave their swords around after two days of training, thinking they’re as talented as those who’ve training for two <em>years.</em> They need some sense knocked into them. Usually I would get Jason to do it, but he’s too busy between the two camps now.”</p>
<p>“I guess I could make the time.” Nico was fully recovered after the war, and his subsequent near-death. Will still hovered over him sometimes with worry, though he trusted Nico to know his limits.</p>
<p>Reyna nodded. “And when you come, bring Will. My medics could learn a few new tricks as well.”</p>
<p>“He might be too busy to come.” Nico wasn’t saying that because he wanted to keep Will from them. Actually, he wanted Hazel and Reyna to get to know Will better. But it was Will’s decision if he wanted to travel to Camp Jupiter. “There’s always injured people here, and Will has classes he teaches as well.”</p>
<p>Hazel perked up. “When does he teach them?”</p>
<p>“There’s one in about half-an-hour at the Big House. I was going, if you wanted to join me?” It would mostly be review material for Nico, but he still enjoyed going.</p>
<p>Hazel enthusiastically agreed, then hurried off when she spotted Piper. She promised to meet them there. Nico offered them a small wave before turning to Reyna.</p>
<p>“There was something I wanted to ask you.” Nico had yet to talk to Will about the University in New Rome. He wanted to be sure it was possible before he got Will’s hopes up.</p>
<p>Reyna cocked a brow and gestured for him to continue.</p>
<p>“Percy and Annabeth were able to attend New Rome’s University before their ten years of service because of their efforts in the war.”</p>
<p>Reyna’s eyes widened in surprise, then softened. “Have you chosen a major?”</p>
<p>“Not yet, but…” Nico frowned. “I would like to do something.”</p>
<p>Reyna nodded. “Well, after a few more years maybe you’ll know. You’ll have to get all your high school credits and pass a few exams though.”</p>
<p>“I know.” Nico never really went to school. That in itself would be a whole other challenge. “But also, it’s not just me I’m asking about.”</p>
<p>“Will?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” Nico fidgeted nervously. “We talked a while ago. I know he’s interested in studying medicine. I think he’d want to attend as well.” </p>
<p>Reyna tapped her chin. “Will is a bit of a different case than you, but I think I can make it work. If he logs some hours in the infirmary at Camp Jupiter while he’s studying at the University, it can count towards his years of service. I don’t think anyone would argue against furthering the education of one of the camp’s medics.”</p>
<p>Nico breathed a relieved sigh. “I – <em>thank you</em>. I’m going to talk to him about it. I think… he’d really like it.”</p>
<p>Reyna curled an arm around him again. He leaned against her with a soft smile.</p>
<p>“Now, take me to meet your boyfriend.”</p>
<p>“You already met him.”</p>
<p>“As the camp’s head medic. Not as your boyfriend.” Reyna patted his shoulder when he sent her a confused look.</p>
<p>They walked around camp together, Reyna asking more about the camp, and what Nico was doing there. Nico told her about some of his students. He also told her about his studies at the infirmary. Nico would never be as talented as Will was – even if he didn’t have powers from Apollo. But the information was interesting enough, and Nico liked being able to help out. Reyna asked him more about Will. Nico told her a little about their first date, and also the date Nico was hoping to take him on now that he was healed.</p>
<p>They ended up at the infirmary fifteen minutes early, where Will was just finishing setting up for his class. He perked up when he saw Nico, then smiled at Reyna.</p>
<p>Reyna greeted him with a handshake. “I hope you don’t mind me sitting in on your class today.”</p>
<p>Will grinned. “Not at all. We always welcome more people to join. Did Nico recruit you? He’s been bringing half of my students to me from the training grounds.”</p>
<p>Reyna shook her head. “I’ve already heard of your talents from the war. I wanted to come and see your talents for myself. And meet you properly, of course, since you’re important to Nico. He’s told me a lot about you.”</p>
<p>Will’s eyes softened. “Did he?” He sounded a little dreamy.</p>
<p>While recovering from overexerting himself while using his powers again, in addition to the neck injury, Nico would sometime Iris Message Reyna or Hazel at Camp Jupiter. While Percy wasn’t at camp anymore, he still let Nico borrow his cabin to do it, so long as Nico IM’d him too and occasionally left an offering for Poseidon. Reyna got him talking one night and he spent an embarrassingly long time talking about Will. He refused to use the term: <em>gushing</em>.</p>
<p>Nico flushed and scowled. Will wrapped an arm around him and pressed a kiss to his temple. Nico relaxed against him. He cast a glance towards Reyna, who sent him an encouraging smile.</p>
<p>Other campers were starting to come in for class, so Nico stepped away from Will to snag a good seat. Reyna sat to Nico’s right, while he reserved the other seat beside him for Hazel. She hurried in just before class was starting, whispering some apologies as she settled.</p>
<p>“He’s even cuter than I remember,” she said.</p>
<p>Nico kicked her foot under the table.</p>
<p>~ ~ ~</p>
<p>After class, Hazel went to meet with Piper again, and Reyna left to speak with Chiron. Usually Nico helped Will clean up, but instead he snuck out for a couple minutes to speak with Kayla. By the time Nico got back, Will was almost done. Nico helped him for the last bit, ignoring the way Will’s smile still made his stomach flood with skeletal butterflies.</p>
<p>Will caught him around the waist once they were done, tilting his head down to kiss Nico. “I have to go to my shift. But I’ll see you at the campfire?”</p>
<p>“Actually.” Nico took Will’s hand. “You have the afternoon free now.”</p>
<p>Will tilted his head in confusion. “You –“</p>
<p>“Do you want to go on a date with me?” Nico asked. “To the city?”</p>
<p>Will’s eyes widened. “I – yeah. Of course.” He started to grin. “The city? I haven’t – what should I? Um?” He picked at his clothes with a slightly panicked look.</p>
<p>Nico smiled. “Just grab a sweater. And some good walking shoes. I’m not carrying you when your flip-flops break.”</p>
<p>“Okay.” Will kissed him again, his eyes bright. “I’ll have to run to my cabin. Where should we..?”</p>
<p>“Meet me at my cabin.” Nico had a few things to pack up as well. “We’ll travel from there.”</p>
<p>Will kissed him on the cheek and hurried away. The thought that he was <em>that</em> excited to just go on a date with Nico did funny things to his stomach. He stepped into a supply closet and shadow traveled to his cabin to avoid running into anyone while his face was so red. But to his horror, Hazel and Piper were sitting on her bed when he arrived. They were sharing the rest of the pizza. And drinking some of Nico’s coffee.</p>
<p>“Pizza?” She held out the box to him, which contained one lonely, leftover slice. But at least they thought to save <em>something</em> for him.</p>
<p>“Thanks, but…” Nico grabbed his bag. It was all already packed with ambrosia, nectar, first aid supplies, money and snacks. He kept it in case his dad called him away, but it would also be helpful to take if they got attacked by monsters in the city. “I’m actually going out. To eat.”</p>
<p>Hazel raised an eyebrow.</p>
<p>“With Will,” Nico reluctantly added.</p>
<p>Hazel grinned. “I’ve got something for you.”</p>
<p>Nico wasn’t sure if he liked the glint in her eyes. She knelt by her bed and pulled something out of a bag. Nico’s eyes widened when she handed it to him. It was a dark brown leather jacket with plenty of pockets and a warm, woolen lining. Nico slid it on over his plain black t-shit. It was comfortable, and a little big. He was sure he would grow into it.</p>
<p>“Hazel…”</p>
<p>She busied herself with fixing his unruly hair. “It looks good on you.” She kissed his cheek. “Have fun on your date.”</p>
<p>Nico flushed.</p>
<p>There was a knock on the door. Nico kissed Hazel’s cheek and hurried away, returning Piper’s wave and smile. He had no doubt she would be filling in Jason when he returned to camp next.</p>
<p>Will was waiting for him outside, in entirely different clothing that he was desperately trying to smooth the wrinkles out of. Nico reached for his hand, squeezing it. Nico was nervous, but he was also excited. He imagined how worried Will was when he was planning their <em>first</em> date. Now Nico was doing their second, and he couldn’t help but feel like it paled in comparison.</p>
<p>But still, he hoped Will would like it.</p>
<p>“The shadow travel is going to be disorienting – especially since it’s your first time.” Nico took a step into the shadows, feeling them swallow him. He pulled Will in after him. The next thing Nico knew, he was on a sidewalk in Manhattan. People hardly paid attention as they walked around them. Nico pulled Will to the side. There was an alley that was empty, although dirty.</p>
<p>“Ugh,” Will groaned. “Dizzy.”</p>
<p>Nico grabbed a juice box from his bag and handed it to him. Will leaned against the brick wall with his eyes closed as he drank. “Was it like that for you your first time?”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Nico snorted. “Except I ran into a wall too. Almost broke my nose.”</p>
<p>Will huffed a laugh. He finished his juice box and tossed it into the nearby dumpster. He glanced around curiously. “It’s been so long since I’ve been outside of camp,” he murmured. He was looking around greedily, like he couldn’t take in or see enough.</p>
<p>Nico took his hand again. “Try not to get lost.” Nico pulled him down the street. He was heading to a restaurant Percy recommended. It was a hole-in-the-wall in a little bit of a shadier neighborhood, but he said they had some of the <em>best</em> milkshakes in New York. Some damn good burgers too.</p>
<p>They stopped occasionally when something caught Will’s eye, but they eventually made it to the restaurant. It looked a little grimy on the outside, but the scents wafting from within smelled heavenly. Beside him, Nico heard Will’s stomach growl.</p>
<p>Feeling a little more confident, Nico led them inside. It was much nicer on the inside, though a little tacky. All the seats were made of red pleather, and the wallpaper was bright, but worn. They were sat at an old, but clean table. The menus looked to be a few years old, but everything on them sounded good.</p>
<p>They ordered a couple cheeseburgers. Nico got a chocolate shake, and Will got a cherry one. Will was glancing around the restaurant eagerly. Nico wondered when he last had a meal outside of camp.</p>
<p>Their milkshakes arrived first. They were thick and creamy and oh-so-very-good. Nico had to thank Percy for the recommendation later. He would pass on McDonalds to get this.</p>
<p>“Oh my gods. I think this is the best thing I’ve ever tasted.” Will sighed.</p>
<p>Nico hummed. “Want to try mine?”</p>
<p>Will’s eyes lit up. He tried Nico’s chocolate shake, and slid his own cherry one over to Nico. It was good, but Nico still thought chocolate was better. As they passed their shakes back, Will’s foot hooked around Nico’s under the table, making him jump.</p>
<p>Nico glared as he wiped some chocolate shake off his cheek. He extended his leg, their shins touching firmly under the table. Nico reached for Will’s hand too, threading their finger together.</p>
<p>They were half-finished their shakes when the burgers arrived. They were good, but nothing amazing. Will seemed to enjoy his more though, so that was what mattered the most. Nico was just sour he had to let go of Will’s hand to eat.</p>
<p>Nico wasn’t able to finish all his burger, but Will happily did for him. With their meal finished, Will leaned back in his seat and smiled. For most of the date, Will was glancing around at anything and everything, but now he was solely focused on Nico.</p>
<p>“Thank you – for taking me out.” His eyes were starting to water. “I – really needed this – to just feel normal for a day. I wish we could maybe – do this more often?”</p>
<p>Nico reached across the table to take his hand. “Where do you want to go next time?”</p>
<p>Will blinked and wiped at his eyes, then laughed. “I – uhm – I hadn’t thought that far.”</p>
<p>“We’ll figure it out.” Nico squeezed his hand.</p>
<p>The waitress came to deliver their bill. Nico paid quickly.</p>
<p>“Come one, there’s one more place we have to go.” He led Will out of the restaurant and down the street to a nearby park. There were a few other couples and families having picnics or hanging around. Nico chose an empty spot. Nico plopped down on the grass, waiting for Will to settle beside him. “I know its not time for the sunset, or night when we can watch the stars, but this is okay?” Chiron would definitely notice if they weren’t back for dinner. While Nico didn’t care if he got in trouble, he didn’t want Will to get in any.</p>
<p>Will always looked dazzling in the sun. It caught the highlights in his hair and brought out the tiny freckles all over his face. He smiled softly as he rolled towards Nico. He curled an arm around Nico’s waist. He entangled his other hand in Nico’s hair, tilting his head so they could kiss.</p>
<p>“It’s perfect,” he whispered.</p>
<p>Nico was content to stay curled around him for the rest of the day, but they still had something to discuss. Nico hoped Will would like the idea.</p>
<p>“I’ve been thinking – about what we were talking about on our first date. About New Rome’s University. I haven’t decided what I want to take yet, but I really want to go.” Nico saw a flash of worry in Will’s eyes.</p>
<p>“You’ll be going to high school then?”</p>
<p>Nico huffed. “Maybe in a year or so. I have a lot to catch up on.” He didn’t even really know what they taught in school nowadays. He shook his head. He didn’t want to get off track. This was just as much about Will as it was about him. “I talked to Reyna about it. She said I would be able to attend early, like Percy and Annabeth, because of my role during the war. And I hope you don’t mind – but I also asked about you.”</p>
<p>“About me?” Will looked confused. He sat up slowly, hands behind him.</p>
<p>Nico sat up too. “I know you want to attend as well. To study in the medical field?”</p>
<p>Will nodded slowly. “But I would have to put in ten years of service to the legion.”</p>
<p>“Not exactly.” Nico bit his lip as Will’s sharp gaze met his. “You’d be able to complete your years of service while you study, so long as you put time in at the Camp Jupiter Infirmary. If that was what you wanted, that is.”</p>
<p>Will took a deep breath. His eyes were wide as he rubbed at his jaw. “I – yeah. I want to attend. To learn how to better help people. I would –“ Will was shaking slightly. “I would really be able to?”</p>
<p>“So long as you pass the appropriate exams and everything.”</p>
<p>Will threw his arms around Nico, knocking them to the ground again. Nico grunted, but wrapped his arms around Will, who pressed his face against Nico’s chest.</p>
<p>“We can go – together?” Will’s voice was muffled.</p>
<p>“Yeah.” Nico wouldn’t want it any other way.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I didn't know if I'd have time to post tomorrow, so I did today. </p>
<p>I hope everyone enjoyed the story!</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Please leave me comments and let me know what you think!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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